CABINET OFFICE

Christmas Presents

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost is of employing people to wrap Christmas presents for the Prime Minister's Office; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: No staff are employed to wrap Christmas presents for the Prime Minister's Office.

Ecovert plc

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contracts have been entered into between the Cabinet Office and Ecovert plc in the last three years.

Jim Murphy: Following a competitive tendering exercise, the Cabinet Office entered into a contract with Ecovert FM Ltd. on 1 April 2002 for the provision of a total facilities management service covering its estate in London and Basingstoke. This includes ad hoc project works. The Cabinet Office has not entered into any other contracts with Ecovert FM Ltd.

Public Bodies

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to how many posts in public bodies he has the power to appoint individuals.

Jim Murphy: The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is responsible for making appointments to five advisory non-departmental public bodies. These are the Advisory Committee on Advertising; the Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information; the Better Regulation Task Force (which becomes the Better Regulation Commission on 1 January 2006); the Civil Service Appeal Board; and, the Security Vetting Appeals Panel. Further information about these bodies can be found on the Public Bodies database at http://www.knowledgenetwork.gov.uk/ndpb/ndpb.nsf/

Public Bodies

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by his Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment.

Jim Murphy: No former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 have since been appointed to a public body sponsored by the Department.

Prime Minister's Delivery Unit

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff are employed by the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit; and at what grade.

Jim Murphy: The Prime Minister's Delivery Unit's agreed staffing profile for 2005–06 was 41.5 full-time equivalent staff, breaking down as the following mix of grades:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Senior Civil Service 3 1 
			 Senior Civil Service 2 3 
			 Senior Civil Service 1 14 
			 Cabinet Office Band A 14.5 
			 Cabinet Office Band B2 4 
			 Cabinet Office Band B1 4 
			 Cabinet Office Band C2 1 
		
	
	In October 2005 the unit expanded, with seven posts transferring in from elsewhere in the Cabinet Office to work on an initiative to assess the wider capability of Whitehall Departments to deliver their objectives. Their grade breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Senior Civil Service 2 1 
			 Senior Civil Service 1 2 
			 Cabinet Office Band A 3 
			 Cabinet Office Band B1 1 
		
	
	As with any unit that actively manages its staffing complement through turnover and succession planning, at any given point PMDU may have slightly more or fewer staff than the profile quoted aforementioned.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Clergy

Gordon Prentice: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many retired Church of England clergy who are in receipt of a pension have subsequently returned to the ministry full-time.

Stuart Bell: For the majority of clergy, ministry does not cease when they retire and start to receive a pension. Many retired clergy continue to make a vital contribution through honorary and assistant ministry. Occasionally they are licensed to a benefice and may even receive a part-stipend in addition to their pension. The Pensions Board has discretion to suspend or reduce pension if the recipient is in work which falls within the definition of pensionable service. The total they receive by way of pension and stipend should not exceed the National Minimum Stipend (currently £18,060 p.a.).
	In 2004 there were two such cases and there have also been two cases so far in 2005. Aggregate figures for all retired clergy are not available.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Appeal Court Hearings

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many appeals were heard by the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) where there were (a) two Appeal Court judges and (b) one Appeal Court judge sitting in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Harriet Harman: The number of appeals heard when there were two judges sitting in the full Court of Appeal is set out in the table. No appeals were heard by a judge sitting alone in the full Court of Appeal.
	
		
			 December to November each year Number 
		
		
			 2000–01 268 
			 2001–02 623 
			 2002–03 726 
			 2003–04 607 
			 2004–05 665

Appeal Court Hearings

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the cases heard by the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in which all proceedings are complete where there were (a) two Appeal Court judges and (b) one Appeal Court judge sitting in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Harriet Harman: A list setting out the names of cases where an application or appeal was heard by two judges sitting in the full Court of Appeal has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. No applications or appeals were heard by a judge sitting alone in the full Court of Appeal.

Appeal Court Hearings

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance she issues about the number of judges required to hear an appeal in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division); what the (a) maximum and (b) minimum number of judges required is to hear an appeal before that Court; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: No guidance is issued by the Minister. The governing provisions in section 55, Supreme Court Act 1981 do not set a maximum number of judges; a court consisting of two judges may be duly constituted for the hearing of an appeal against sentence but cannot hear an appeal against conviction, for which a minimum of three judges is required.

Civil Legal Aid (Gravesham)

Adam Holloway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the availability of civil legal aid to people living in Gravesham.

Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission contracts with service providers throughout England and Wales to provide a range of legal and advice services across different categories of law.
	There are currently six service providers with a contract to undertake civil legal aid work in Gravesham. Service providers in Gravesham may help people who live outside the area, and people who live in Gravesham may visit a service provider in a different area.
	Any person residing in England or Wales can access free quality legal advice and information through Community Legal Service Direct. This service is available direct to the public through a telephone line, website and information leaflets.

Departmental Guidance (Evidence/Documentary Access)

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what her policy is with regard to (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department giving evidence to the (i) Scottish Parliament, (ii) National Assembly for Wales and (iii)Northern Ireland Assembly committees; and to what categories of document she gives (A) full access, (B)restricted access and (C) no access to the (1)Scottish Parliament, (2) National Assembly for Wales, (3) Northern Ireland Assembly and (4) House of Commons select committees.

Bridget Prentice: Requests for the attendance of Ministers or officials to give evidence to the devolved legislatures, and for the provision of information to the assemblies, will be considered on a case by case basis. This consideration will reflect the principles set out in the Cabinet Office guidance Departmental Evidence and Response to Select Committees (July 2005)" and the Department for Constitutional Affairs' Devolution Guidance Note 12, Attendance of UK Ministers and Officials at Committees of the devolved legislatures"; and the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.
	The principles underlying the provision of information to House of Commons Select Committee are set out in Departmental Evidence and Response to Select Committees", particularly sections 4B and 4C.

External Media Relations

Alex Salmond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much her Department spent on external media relations in each year since 2001.

Bridget Prentice: The Department spent nothing in 2001–02, £14,100 in 2002–03, £154,140 in 2003–04 and £141,451 in 2004–05. This can be explained primarily by spending on independent PR consultants by the Commission for Judicial Appointments and spending on the Living Together campaign which aims to increase awareness and understanding of the legal issues surrounding cohabitation.

High Sheriffs

Alan Beith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the arrangements were for (a) the advertisement of vacancies and (b) the selection of nominees in preparing the 2005 nominations for high sheriffs in England and Wales.

Harriet Harman: The arrangements for seeking nominees are a matter for individual counties. Local selection panels are, however, encouraged to cast the net as widely as possible and to consider candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Media Relations

Alex Salmond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Department has spent on external media relations in each month of the last year.

Bridget Prentice: pursuant to the reply, 24 November 2005, Official Report, c. 1355W
	The Department spent £10,415.41 on external media relations in each month of the last year. I had previously stated that the amount spent was £5,670 but this figure failed to take account of spending by the Commission for Judicial Appointments on independent consultants.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Digital Broadcasting

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her latest estimate is of the number of non-digital television sets in the UK; what the average is per household; what the estimated cost to the Government is of (a) digital switchover and (b) support to viewers on low incomes to facilitate changeover; and if she will make a statement.

James Purnell: On 8 November 2005, Ofcom published research by the Generics Group 1 which examined the cost and power consumption implications of digital switchover for UK households. The report estimates that there are 24.8 million primary sets and 24.3 million secondary sets in regular use. This excludes television sets that are used exclusively for other purposes such as video gaming. Ofcom's most recent figures for digital take up were published on 9 December 2005. As of 30 September 2005, 65.9 per cent. of homes—round 16.4 million homes—can receive digital television services on at least one set. A further 650,000 homes have access to multichannel television services through analogue cable. Ofcom do not have detailed estimates for digital take up for second or third sets take up. The Generics Group research estimates that around 28 per cent. of secondary sets are used to receive digital television.
	Targeted support will be available to households where someone is aged 75 or over; and to households where someone has a severe disability-defined as those people eligible for either disability living allowance or attendance allowance. The full details and costs of the scheme are currently being developed, but the assistance will consist of providing the necessary equipment to convert one television set and the relevant support to install and use such equipment. This help will be free for the poorest eligible households, those on income support, jobseeker's allowance or pension credit; other qualifying households will pay a modest fee. The scheme will be established and funded by the BBC, as envisaged in the BBC Charter Green Paper published in March.
	There are no central estimates of the overall cost to Government of digital switchover. However, other than the costs of updating television equipment within the Government sector, the only costs will be those incurred for research, communications and other programme support costs for the Digital Switchover Programme.
	1 Cost and power consumption implications of digital switchover—Generics Group. Published by Ofcom on 8 November 2005

Elite Athletes (Financial Support)

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on financial support for elite athletes.

Richard Caborn: Financial support for elite athletes during the period April 2005 to March 2009 is being provided through a number of schemes.
	UK Sport's World Class Performance Programme will provide £98 million to sport's national governing bodies and elite athletes to assist their preparation and participation at winter and summer Olympics and Paralympics.
	The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) is providing £17 million to our most talented young people in the form of scholarships, bursaries and TASS 2012
	scholarships.
	In addition, our elite athletes are able to train at a number of world-class facilities throughout England that have been developed as part of the English Institute of Sport with an investment of £120 million from Sport England's Lottery Fund.

London Olympics

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish the commitments made by the Government to the International Olympic Committee to restrict betting on the 2012 London Olympics; and by what means she will implement those commitments.

Richard Caborn: No such commitments have been given.

London Olympics

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding submissions she has received directly from the British Olympic Association for elite sport in the run-up to the 2012 Olympic games.

Richard Caborn: I have not received a funding submission from the British Olympic Association for elite sport in the run-up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.

London Olympics

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Disability Rights Commission on promoting the London Paralympics; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not, at this stage, held discussions with the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) on the promotion of the London 2012 Paralympic games. However, the DRC has been involved in the preparations for thegames through their membership of London 2012'sLondon Disability Organisations Forum. As preparations gather pace, discussions are taking place between the 2012 stakeholders to determine the best way to engage and consult with disability organisations on various aspects of the games over the coming years.
	We are determined that the London 2012 Paralympic games will be a showcase for Paralympic sport, strengthening the Paralympic Movement and setting new standards for services, facilities and opportunities for disabled people. The games will inspire greater numbers of young people—and in particular those with disabilities—to become involved with sport and to aspire to elite performance.

London Olympics

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone) of 28 November 2005, Official Report, column 1W, on the Olympic Games, who the members are of the Nations and Regions Group of London 2012; and what the relevant experience of each is.

Richard Caborn: The 2012 Nations and Regions Group is Chaired by Charles Allen and includes a representative from each English region and the devolved Administrations.
	The full list of current members is; Charles Allen, Chief Executive of ITV, London 2012 Board Member and Chief Executive of Manchester 2002; Keith Mills, Deputy Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games; Jeff Moore, Chief Executive of the East Midlands Development Agency; Stephen Castle, Board Member of the East of England Development Agency and Chair of the East of England Regional Sports Board; Neale Coleman, Adviser to the Mayor of London; Tim-Cantle Jones, Chair of the North East Regional Sports Board; Andy Worthington, Chair of the North West Regional Sports Board; Aideen McGinley, Permanent Secretary of the Northern Ireland Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure; Julia Bracewell, Chair of Sport Scotland; Mary McAnally, Chair of the South East Regional Sports Board and a member of the South East Regional Development Agency; Ged Roddy, Chairman of Sport England South West; Gareth Hall, Chief Executive of the Welsh Development Agency; Derrick Anderson, Chair of the West Midlands Regional Sports Board and Non-Executive Director of London 2012; David Gent, Chief Executive of Sport England Yorkshire; Sue Killen, Director General, Department for Culture, Media and Sport; and Tom Wright, Chief Executive of VisitBritain.

London Olympics

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with regional and local bodiesabout plans to attract Olympics-related activities to Northamptonshire in the run up to the 2012 games.

Richard Caborn: We have established a Nations and Regions Group to ensure the whole of the UK is engaged with and benefits from the Games in 2012.
	The Nations and Regions Group met on 4 November to discuss how best to co-ordinate UK wide interests in staging the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will meet again on 24 January to confirm its remit and membership.
	Each of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions of England is establishing a regional working group, responsible for taking work forward and reporting to the Nations and Regions Group. They will include representatives from regional development agencies (RDAs), regional sports boards and other relevant stakeholders. Under this arrangement, Northamptonshire would participate through the East Midlands Group.
	The RDAs will of course play a vital role in this work, and we will write to them shortly to ask them to develop plans to maximise business and development opportunities offered by the 2012 Olympics in their regions.

National Lottery

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what arrangements are in place to ensure that organisations in receipt of lottery awards (a) are monitored effectively and (b) spend the awarded resources as intended.

Richard Caborn: Each lottery distributing body's financial directions require the body to set up appropriate project monitoring and evaluation arrangements for both ongoing and completed projects, which are supported with lottery funds.
	The exact nature of monitoring will vary in individual cases depending on the size, nature and complexity of the project concerned. The directions also say that distributors should make a condition of each lottery award that it should be repaid in certain circumstances. This includes cases where the purpose of the grant is not fulfilled.

National Lottery

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the implications of lottery funding for the London 2012 Olympics for lottery grants for other sports; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: We have been quite clear since launching our Olympic bid three years ago that lottery proceeds would form a key part of the public funding package. We have allowed for up to £1.5 billion to be raised in this way, some of which will be raised by new lottery games solely for this purpose. We expect the non-Olympic good causes to receive up to 5 per cent. less in income, as a result of sales diversion, over the eight-year period from 2005 to 2013. In addition, up to £410 million will be redirected from the proceeds of non-Olympic lottery games after 2009.

National Lottery

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the amount of lottery funds distributed in the South East region in 2004–05.

Richard Caborn: 3,560 awards worth over £122 million were made by Lottery bodies to projects in the South East region during financial year 2004–05. The expenditure of these awards may be spread over several years. Similarly the amount spent during 2004–05 will have included parts of awards made during previous years.
	The Department holds information on the geographical breakdown of Lottery awards, rather than expenditure.
	This information is derived from the Department's Lottery award database, searchable at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk, which uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors.

National Coaching Certificate

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with the (a) National Governing Bodies and (b) the Department for Education and Skills on the implementation of the National Coaching Certificate.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has worked closely with Sportscoach UK and 21National Governing Bodies to develop their sport specific qualifications in line with UK Coaching Certificate Levels 1–5. Six of these National Governing Bodies have been involved in a UKCC endorsement pilot. A further 10 sports are working with Sportscoach UK to progress their sport specific qualifications.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has been involved in discussions with Department for Education and Skills regarding the level of support available for the UK Coaching Certificate from Learning and Skills Councils and I have written to Phil Hope, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills regarding this issue.

National Sports Foundation

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to announce details of the National Sports Foundation; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: The Chancellor outlined details of the National Sports Foundation in his pre-Budget report document Britain meeting the global challenge: Enterprise, fairness and responsibility".
	The National Sports Foundation will be established from April 2006, bringing public and private sectors together to invest in grass roots sport. The Government has committed £27.5 million over the next two years, and will be encouraging the private sector to match this funding, aiming to raise at least a further £30 million from private investors over this period.
	The foundation will aim to attract new sources of investment from both large and small private sector firms not traditionally associated with sports sponsorship, ensuring the investment is targeted at community sport development rather than elite and professional sport. To do this, the foundation will:
	be a high profile, one-stop shop for private investors and community sport organisations who need project funding, with a single web-based point of access;
	act as broker, bringing together investors and projects to meet the needs of both;
	have a national and regional dimension;
	have a visible, respected and enterprising Champion" promoting the benefits of investing in the foundation;
	fund initiatives that focus on increasing participation, particularly projects that promote diversity in sport, or improve the infrastructure of community sporting provision, for example by providing facilities and coaches; and capitalise on the nationwide Olympic feel-good" factor to ensure lasting benefits for community sport.

Special Advisers

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the (a) advisers and (b) special advisers to her Department whose role relates to (i) sport and (ii) the Olympics; whether each is paid; and what other official posts each holds.

Richard Caborn: DCMS employs a special adviser who advises on sport and Olympics matters. He is paid and holds no other official posts.

Sport (West Midlands)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial assistance has been given to junior (a) Rugby League, (b) Rugby Union, (c) football and (d) cricket in (i) the West Midlands, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) Tamworth constituency in each of the last five years.

Richard Caborn: Exchequer and Lottery funding is allocated by Sport England to the National Governing Bodies of Sports. It is not possible to identify the funding that went specifically to juniors as Sport England does not capture this information. However, benefiting young people is a key priority for Sport England's investment in National Governing Bodies and the potential for projects to benefit junior sport is integral to funding decisions.
	The Exchequer funding made available to the governing bodies of the sports mentioned over the last five years is as follows:
	Rugby Union £2.3 million, and £9.4 million through the Community Club Development Programme (CCDP)
	Cricket £2.1 million, and £9.4 million through CCDP
	Football £0.8 million, and £9.4 million through CCDP
	Rugby League £1.4 million.
	As the funding is awarded to the governing body we are not able to provide information on figures to a specific area or region.
	However, the table summarises Sport England's lottery investment over the last five years in the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Tamworth.
	
		Lottery awards (including Awards For All) in the last five years -- £
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 West Midlands   
			 Cricket 628,974 584,065 602,058 579,691 133,433 83,538 
			 Football 872,839 1,069,784 619,083 569,147 262,798 79,851 
			 Rugby League 17,088 24,466 36,581 26,536 19,970 24,991 
			 Rugby Union 322,693 75,056 90,628 209,416 481,450 2,995 
			 Staffordshire   
			 Cricket 258,739 190,270 32,669 19,544 9,769 7,155 
			 Football 225,212 77,833 85,884 72,641 26,155 — 
			 Rugby League 1,395 — — — — 3,000 
			 Rugby Union 6,241 — 4,987 5,000 — — 
			 Tamworth   
			 Cricket — 4,648 — — 4,060 — 
			 Football 35,884 4,858 3,194 — 8,105 — 
			 Rugby League — — — — — — 
			 Rugby Union — — — — — —

Sports Funding

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial assistance has been given to junior (a) Rugby League, (b) Rugby Union, (c) cricket and (d) football in (i) the North West, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) Chorley in each of the last five years.

Richard Caborn: It is not possible to split the funding that went to juniors as Sport England does not specifically capture this information. However, benefiting young people is a key priority for all of their community investment and the potential for projects to benefit junior sport is integral to every funding decision made.
	The Exchequer funding made available to the governing bodies of the sports over the last five years is as follows:
	Rugby Union—£2.3million, and £9.4million through the Community Club Development Programme (CCDP)
	Cricket—£2.1 million, and £9.4 million through CCDP
	Football—£0.8million, and £9.4 million through CCDP
	Rugby League—£1.4 million.
	As the funding is awarded to the governing body we are not able to provide information on figures to a specific area or region.
	I can, however state what lottery money Sport England have invested in the North West, Lancashire and Chorley. This is detailed in the following table:
	
		Lottery awards (including awards for all) in the last five years -- £
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 North West   
			 Cricket 1,477,205 856,960 1,258,364 3,359,823 586,916 80,335 
			 Football 1,329,765 4,631,167 1,172,168 1,544,410 405,709 200,835 
			 Rugby League 356,657 753,716 125,567 705,612 1,377,480 31,780 
			 Rugby Union 107,763 563,060 357,496 1,058,444 199,701 34,881 
			
			 Lancashire   
			 Cricket 46,585 127,988 183,131 52,863 32,148 23,477 
			 Football 73,644 385,928 75,673 82,318 58,692 40,701 
			 Rugby League 14,314 4,127 8,665 7,130 39,362 — 
			 Rugby Union 14,113 181,107 182,260 4,830 11,550 4,963 
			
			 Chorley   
			 Cricket — 5,000 — 3,520 — 4,500 
			 Football — — — 9,886 — — 
			 Rugby League — — 3,695 — 49,203 — 
			 Rugby Union — — — — 5,000 —

Swimming Pools

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many public access 50metre swimming pools there are in (a) England, (b) London and (c) Havering; and how many are planned prior to the Olympics in 2012.

Richard Caborn: There are sixteen 50 metre swimming pools with public access in England, of which two are in London. There are no 50 metre swimming pools in Havering. A further six pools are currently being developed and this includes two for the new Aquatic Centre in Stratford.
	An additional three 50 metre pools and two water polo pools are planned for the Olympic games and these will be redistributed following the games against an agreed legacy strategy.
	Sport England is working with the Amateur Swimming Association to consider swimming pool provision in London, including the impact of the Olympic games pool provision.

UK Film Industry

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on Government support for the UK film industry;
	(2)  what financial assistance is available to film makers from the UK Government to fund film production.

James Purnell: The Government are committed to supporting a sustainable, stable and successful film industry. The UK Film Council, our strategic body for film, allocates lottery money for filmmaking, and works with the Government and other funding bodies to promote the widest possible enjoyment and understanding of cinema throughout the UK. The Government themselves continue to make available effective and appropriately-targeted tax relief for filmmakers.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last had discussions with his Dutch counterpart about the possible deployment of Dutch troops to southern Afghanistan; and what the outcome was of such discussions.

John Reid: I have regular discussions with allies including the Dutch about NATO operations in Afghanistan.

Departmental Costs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) salary bill was and (b) administrative costs were for his Department in (i)each (A) nation and (B) region of the UK and (ii)London in 200405.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence publishes pay costs by region in the HMT Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (PESA). The data for 200304 is contained in Table 8.20 of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2005 (Cm 6521) which was published in April 2005 (see page 131). We are currently undertaking work on the analysis of the 200405 data, and this will be published in the PESA tables in April 2006.
	MOD does not currently collect data on administrative budgets.

Departmental Staff (Relocation)

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the potential (a) to reduce and (b) to relocate departmental posts in the main London building.

Don Touhig: An assessment was made at the end of 2004, as part of work on the SR04 efficiency programme, that identified the potential for a reduction of around 300 posts in the MOD's main London building. In addition, some individual posts may be relocated but there are no plans for major relocations. Future staffing levels and requirements will be reviewed regularly.

Early Retirement

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's employees have taken early retirement in each year since 1997.

Don Touhig: The following table gives details of the number of Ministry of Defence civilian employees that took early retirement in each of the financial years 19971998 to 20042005.
	
		
			 Financial Year Headcount 
		
		
			 199798 1,420 
			 199899 920 
			 19992000 1,060 
			 200001 990 
			 200102 830 
			 200203 700 
			 200304l 1,200 
			 200405 790 
		
	
	(1)The streamlining of Head Office prior to the reoccupation of Main Building in London led to 540 personnel taking early retirement on Compulsory early retirement on structural grounds.
	Note:
	This table used the revised definition of civilian personnel (www.dasa.mod.uk), but excludes Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Locally Engaged Civilian staff for whom no information on civilian early retirements is available.

Far East POWs

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from non-qualifying claimants for the ex-gratia payment scheme for Far East prisoners of war in response to his offer of compensation for distress caused by his Department's failure to set out the eligibility criteria clearly.

Don Touhig: A number of those who claimed under the scheme but did not qualify, and who may be entitled to the 500 compensation payment, have written to the Department criticising its level. Of some 175 payments that have so far been made, one has been returned.

Media Monitoring

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Department has spent on media monitoring activities in each of the last eight financial years.

Don Touhig: The following table sets out MOD's expenditure on media monitoring activities for the last two completed financial years. Information relating to the costs of media monitoring for the preceding six financial years in the format requested is not heldcentrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Financial year Expenditure ( million)(2) 
		
		
			 200405 0.350 
			 200304 0.421 
		
	
	(2)This figure is made up of expenditure for daily press cutting services and a subscription to the Cabinet Office Media Monitoring Unit. The total is rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Post-traumatic Stress

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision his Department has made for veterans suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence recognises Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a serious and disabling condition and continues to take all appropriate steps to address this and other more common stress-related disorders among Service personnel, reflecting the wider medical understanding of prevention and care.
	The provision-of health care for veterans is primarily the responsibility of the NHS. However, under a provision of the war pensions scheme, the MOD funds remedial treatment at one of the treatment centres of the Ex Services Mental Health Society (Combat Stress) for those with service-related accepted mental health problems; this includes cases of PTSD.
	As part of the Veterans Programme, the MOD is working closely with the Department of Health and the devolved Administrations to ensure excellent mental health services for veterans, including those suffering from PTSD. Discussions are taking place on a number of questions relating to the provision of such services, including exploring whether any changes need to be made to arrangements to address the needs of those suffering from severe PTSD.

Public Bodies/Agencies

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff were employed by non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he has responsibility in 200405 in (a) total and (b) each (i) nation and (ii) region of the UK and (c) London.

Don Touhig: Information on the number of staff, employed between 200405, by each of MOD's executive non-departmental public bodies in total and for each nation and region of the UK and London is as follows:
	
		Nation: England
		
			 Museum Total(3) UK region (including London) 
		
		
			 National Army Museum 86 ChelseaLondon Government Office Region (82) 
			   SandhurstSouth East Government Office Region (4) 
			 RAF Museum 169 Cosford/StaffordWest Midlands Government Office Region (49) 
			   HendonLondon Government Office Region (120) 
			 Royal Naval Museum 32 Portsmouth Naval BaseSouth East Government Office Region (32) 
			 Royal Navy Submarine Museum 22 Gosport, PortsmouthSouth East Government Office Region (22) 
			 Museum Royal Marines 29 Southsea, HampshireSouth East Government Office Region (29) 
			 Fleet Air Arm Museum 65 Yeovilton, SomersetSouth West Government Office Region (65) 
		
	
	(3)As of 31 March 2005. Includes full and part time staff. Figures taken from the Cabinet Office Public Bodies website http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/the_future_of_the_civil_service/agencies_ and_public_bodies/publications/pdf/public-bodies/publicbodies2QQ5. pdf
	Information on the number of staff employed by agencies in total and for each nation (England, Scotland, Wales, N Ireland and overseas) can be found in the UK Defence Statistics 2005 Publication under tables 2.6, 2.6a and 2.6b (pages 5254). A copy is available in the Library of the House. Information on the number of staff employed by agencies in each region of the UK and London could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Costs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) salary bill was and (b) administrative costs were for his Department in (i) each (A) nation and (B) region of the UK and (ii) London in 200405.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As stated in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) Resource Accounts 200405 (HC 301, 20 July 2005), the total salary bill for ODPM was some 226,643,000. Total expenditure within the administration cost limit for the year, also taken from the accounts, was 310,744,000.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not monitor regional or central London administrative costs relating to the central Department separately. Such a breakdown could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	A breakdown, by English region, of expenditure and salaries (within the administration costs limit) by the Government Offices is set out as follows.
	
		
		
			   Government offices  Salary/expenditure Total administrative costs/expenditure (net of receipts) 
		
		
			 North East 10,214 13,887 
			 North West 12,060 17,778 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 9,463 13,454 
			 West Midlands 9,530 15,286 
			 East Midlands 9,035 11,937 
			 East 8,951 15,076 
			 South West 10,542 14,725 
			 South East 11,137 14,372 
			 London 13,177 18,870 
			 Regional co-ordination unit (in London) 2,260 6,025 
			 Total 96,369 141,410

Departmental Grants

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the projects and services run by the NSPCC which have received public funding from his Department in each of the last three years; how much funding was provided in each case; and over what time scale.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made no payments to the NSPCC for projects or services in any of the last three years.

Fire Services

James Gray: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his current estimate is of the overall cost of establishing regional fire control centres in (a) the South West, (b) the other regions and (c) in total.

Jim Fitzpatrick: FiReControl is a national project. There are no separate budgets for each regional control centre. For information on the one-off costs of delivering FiReControl, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 358W. The national cost will be 160 million.

Fire Services

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) genuine and (b) malicious fire emergency calls have been received in (i) Brent and (ii)London in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The figures for the financial years from April 1999 are set out in the following table. The current computer incident recording system used by the London Fire Brigade (which has provided these figures) was introduced in April 1999 and there is no readily available data on a comparable basis for 1997 and 1998.
	(a) genuine calls are given as incidents attended which are either a primary fire, secondary fire, chimney fire, automatic false alarm or good intent false alarm.
	(b) Malicious calls are given as malicious false alarms attended.
	
		
			  Fires False alarms 
			  Primary fire Secondary fire Chimney fire AFAs Good intent All genuine calls to fires Malicious false alarms 
		
		
			 London
			 19992000 21,879 27,004 93 47,828 14,020 110,824 12,487 
			 200001 21,699 25,018 89 49,191 13,942 109,939 11,370 
			 200102 22,342 33,052 64 50,825 15,333 121,616 12,204 
			 200203 19,577 27,829 67 49,171 14,554 111,198 9,995 
			 200304 20,054 37,255 75 50,836 16,035 124,255 9,864 
			 200405 17,379 22,948 65 51,562 14,308 106,262 7,586 
			 
			 Brent
			 19992000 795 510 2 1,263 411 1,307 429 
			 200001 745 483 1 1,312 380 1,229 482 
			 200102 857 515 1 1,273 403 1,373 379 
			 200203 726 495 0 1,191 407 1,221 376 
			 200304 771 743 1 1,319 447 1,515 402 
			 200405 623 501 0 1,125 399 1,124 312

Formula Grant

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the assumed population of the City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne was for formula grant purposes in (a) 200203, (b) 200405, (c) 200506 and (d) 200607.

Phil Woolas: The population figures for City of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne used in formula grant calculations in 200203, 200304, 200405, 200506and 200607 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Settlement year 
			 Mid Year Estimate (MYE) 200203 200304 Amended 200304 published in 200405 200405 Amended 200405 published in 200607 200506 200607 
		
		
			 2000 270,484   
			 2001  259,567  
			 2001 (Revised)   266,241 
			 2002260,268
			 2002 (Revised) 266,012   
			 2003  266,589  
			 2004   269,465 
			 Population projection in 2006   263,888 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.The mid-2000 population estimates used in the 2002/03 settlement were based on the 1991 Census.
	2.Settlements for 200304 to 200607 have used population figures derived from the 2001 Census.
	3.Revised population estimates for 2001 and 2002 published by the ONS have been reflected in Amending Reports by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	4.In the 200607 Settlement, population projections for 2006 will be used for the dominant data drivers of population as this allows the settlement to be more forward looking. The mid-2004 population estimates have also been used but within wider indicators used in the top-up formulae.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Formula Grant

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the formula grant was in respect of reimbursement of the costs of concessionary fares in (a) 200304, (b) 200405 and (c) 200506 for each local authority in the County of Tyne and Wear; and how much is proposed for 200607.

Phil Woolas: Government support for concessionary fares is funded via the Revenue Support Grant Settlement. Revenue Support Grant is an unhypothecated block grant. This means that authorities are able to spend the grant on any service. It is not therefore possible to say how much grant an authority received for a particular service.

Media Relations

Alex Salmond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Office spent on external media relations in each year since 2001.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) was created as a central department in its own right in May 2002, since then the ODPM has spent 619,072.66 on media relations with the Central Office of Information over the period.
	The figure breaks down as follows:
	
		
			 ODPM  
		
		
			 200203 247,612.45 
			 200304 99,161.92 
			 200405 160,320.75 
			 200506 111,977.54 
		
	
	All spend has been to help promote fire safety in the home
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has spent no money on external commercial media relations in this period.

Occupational Health

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Department spent on occupational health in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. The information requested is tabled as follows:
	
		
			 Financial Year Expenditure () 
		
		
			 200203 (June to March) 11,622 
			 200304 11,406 
			 200405 39,069 
			 200506 (to end October) 18,086

Parliamentary Questions

Anne Main: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will reply to Question 27463 from the hon. Member for St Albans, tabled on 8 November.

Yvette Cooper: I answered the hon. Member on 1 December 2005, Official Report, column 681W.

Sunset Clauses

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is in respect of the use of sunset clauses in legislation.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The appropriateness of a sunset clause for the whole or part of any proposed legislation is considered on a case by case basis. It is also addressed when a regulatory impact assessment relating to legislation is being prepared.

Sustainable Communities Plan

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment the Government have made of the potential impact of the Sustainable Communities Plan on the different growth rates of the English regions.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have set out a full response to the Barker Review of Housing Supply on 5 December 2005. This builds on the Sustainable Communities Plan and seeks to deliver a better balance between housing supply and demand in every English region. We recognise that affordability problems are not exclusively a problem in London and the South East, but extend to the South West and into parts of the Midlands and hot spots in the North.
	We have announced a package of measures, including increases in housing supply, reforms to improve the planning system's responsiveness to the housing market and we are consulting on a planning gain supplement to provide funding to support additional housing supply.
	By providing homes where demand is highest, we will tackle constraints to the continued economic development of the country as a whole. National growth is partly dependent on enabling the continued development of London and the South East. Constraints on London and the South East's housing supply and economic development are likely to harm the economy and job growth of the UK as a whole, given the links between regions.
	Addressing constraints to growth in London and the South East should also reduce long-term regional disparities in house price inflation. This will enable people to move between regions to take advantage of employment opportunities. Labour mobility helps to reduce disparities between regions. In addition, improving the supply responsiveness of the housing market may also reduce inflationary pressures and all regions will benefit from lower economic volatility as well as lower real interest rates.
	We are taking steps to help northern regions to maintain the rate of improvement they have shown in recent years. We have set a regional economic performance target, jointly owned by ODPM, the Treasury and the Department for Trade and Industry, to help narrow the persistent gaps in economic growth rates between the regions. To meet this objective the Government have taken significant measures, in areas such as education, skills, employment and transport, to improve the economic performance of all the English regions.
	The housing market renewal pathfinders, which form a key element of the Sustainable Communities Plan, also have an important part to play. They will deliver a greatly improved choice of good quality housing in nine areas of the North and Midlands, thus helping to make them more attractive to employers and more competitive nationally and internationally.

Town and Parish Councils

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of funds raised through town and parish council precepts in England were spent on (a) capital and (b) revenue projects in the last year for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Unlawful Activities

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what activities have been made unlawful by legislation introduced by his Department since May 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Housing and Planning, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) on 26 January 2005, Official Report, columns 43337W. No additional Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Acts of Parliament have been passed since that answer was given.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Academy Schools

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff in her Department are involved in promoting and setting up academy schools; which (a) outside agencies and (b) consultancies are involved; and at what cost to date.

Jacqui Smith: The Academies programme is a 5 billion programme to create 200 Academies open or in the pipeline by 2010. The following table gives the number of my Department's staff employed on the Academies programme (as at the end of the financial year) and the associated running costs for each year since 2002. In addition, my Department employs the external consultants Veredus, Alligan, PriceWaterhouse Coopers and Atkins to advise on the programme as the need arises together with various other individuals providing a consultancy service.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of DfES staff Cost (000) Cost of consultants (000) 
		
		
			 200203 25 784 1,725 
			 200304 30 1,762 3,776 
			 200405 45 2,000 5,685 
			 200506(4) 67 2,147 3,539 
		
	
	(4)Costs and staff numbers to end November 2005.
	Outside agencies involved in the programme include the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, and the 13 project management companies on the DfES framework: Alligan Ltd; Appleyards Consulting; BDP; Cambridge Education Ltd; Faber Maunsell; MouchelParkman; Nord Anglia Education; PKF; Place Group Ltd; Precept; Tribal Education; Turner and Townsend; 3Es.

Children Act

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2005, Official Report, column 1337W, what work her Department is undertaking in pursuance of the exercise of the power under section 12 of the Children Act 2004.

Beverley Hughes: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills issued on 8 December the following written ministerial statement.
	I am announcing today a step change in the support the Government provides to front-line professionals in children's services by leading the implementation of an information sharing index.
	The information sharing index is a key element of the Every Child Matters programme to transform children's services by supporting more effective prevention and early intervention. Its goal is to improve outcomes and the experience of public services for all children, young people and families. Better information sharing is essential for early and effective intervention. The index will provide a tool to support better communication among practitioners across education, health, social care and youth offending. It will allow them to contact one another more easily and quickly, so they can share information about children who need services or about whose welfare they are concerned.
	Our decision about the way forward with the index has been informed by substantial input from, and consultation with, many front-line practitioners and managers across a wide range of children's services organisations. We have also drawn extensively on the experience of local index approaches run under existing legislation by Trailblazer local authorities. Our conclusions respond to what stakeholders have told us they need to be able to do their jobs more effectively and take account of views expressed on the design of the index.
	The index will be a simple basic online system containing:
	minimal identifying information for each child; name, address, date of birth, gender, and contact details for parents or carers. Each child will also have a unique identifying number. In almost all cases this will be a scrambled version of their Child Reference Number (which all children are allocated when a claim for child benefit is made);
	contact details for their educational setting and GP practice and for other practitioners or services working with them; and
	where a practitioner judges it appropriate and necessary, an indicator showing that they wished to be contacted by other practitioners because they have relevant information to share, are taking action, or have undertaken an assessment in relation to that child.
	No case information will be held on the index. Children, young people, or, where appropriate, their parents or carers will be able to ask to see their records and to challenge any inaccuracies, in accordance with data protection legislation.
	There will be a single central index with its data partitioned into 150 parts, one relating to each local authority in England. A central index will ensure that the system works for children who move areas or who access services from more than one area. Partitioning the data will ensure local authorities take the lead in maintaining the accuracy of the data for children living in their area.
	To avoid double-inputting of data and to ensure high standards of accuracy, information on the index will be drawn from and updated through existing systems. It will use proven technology.
	Technical access to the index will be either through the practitioner's existing case management systems, via a web link or, where an approved practitioner has no access to appropriate IT facilities, via another approved user who does have IT access.
	The Government are determined that the index will be as secure as possible, and will therefore ensure it complies with rigorous security standards. Access to it will be granted only to authorised users who have undergone appropriate checks, including those provided by the Criminal Records Bureau. Practitioner use of the index will be audited to ensure information is only accessed where it is necessary for practitioners to do so, and so guard against inappropriate access by authorised users.
	The Government are today making available a report on local authority Trailblazer experience. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House.
	The experience of the Trailblazers identifies significant benefits in the effectiveness of services. These include improved access to information to inform action, better identification of children not receiving universal services, and better multi-agency communication and information exchange. Scope for significant efficiency gains has also been demonstrated from time saved by practitioners on such tasks as identifying other services involved with a child, tracking down and contacting the individual practitioners involved, and making wasted referrals to services already involved with a child. These savings have been quantified as worth over 88 million per annum across England. We do not intend to reduce funding for children's services, but instead to enable savings realised to be reinvested in more and better services for children and more effective use of staff time. We anticipate that this will enhance staff satisfaction with their jobs.
	The Government will commit substantial resources to the index. One-off implementation costs will be an estimated 224 million over the next three yearsthis includes the costs of adapting systems that will supply the data to the index and adapting the day-to-day systems used by practitioners so they can access the index from their own systems. It also includes the cost of ensuring the original data supplied to the index is accurate, that there are robust systems in place to ensure security, and that staff are trained to use the index properly. Operating costs, thereafter, will be 41 million per year. Most of these costs will fund the additional staff needed to ensure the on-going security, accuracy and audit of the index. Both set-up and running costs will be funded by central Government, so that the costs to local authorities do not form a pressure on the council tax.
	Our plan is that a technically robust, secure and accurate index is available to support children's services across England by the end of 2008. To enable this to be achieved we plan to publish draft regulations under Section 12 of the Children Act 2004, which will be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure. An initial set of regulations in spring 2006 will provide the necessary vires to allow trials to take place for the creation of the initial records. We then plan to publish in autumn 2006 the main regulations to govern the operation of the index. We will consult publicly on draft regulations in the summer/autumn of 2006.
	Implementation will be led by a dedicated project team within DfES. The Project Team will continue to work closely with local authorities, users and other stakeholders to ensure that developments continue to be relevant and lead to more effective practice. Building on the current knowledge gained by the local authority Trailblazers, the project team will directly and actively seek the views of children, young people and families and will ensure those views are taken into account as we develop the index.
	I have written to the hon. Member about the information sharing index announcement, and also to other hon. Members and Peers who have expressed an interest in the index.

Correspondence

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when her Department will reply to the letter sent by the hon. Member for Brent, East dated 2 February on behalf of Mr. Eric Brentini.

Bill Rammell: My hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families replied to the hon. Member's letter on 12 December.

Dedicated Schools Grants

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average (a) primary and (b) secondary school allocation of dedicated schools grant per pupil is in each local education authority for 200607, listed in descending order of grant.

Jacqui Smith: Allocations of dedicated schools grant are not broken down between primary and secondary schools. The following table sets out the guaranteed unit of funding for local authorities' allocations of dedicated schools grant for 200607, listed in descending order.
	
		
			 Local authority Guaranteed DSG per pupil () 
		
		
			 City of London 6,708 
			 Tower Hamlets 5,610 
			 Camden 5,551 
			 Hackney 5,491 
			 Kensington and Ghelsea 5,211 
			 Lambeth 5,208 
			 Southwark 5,162 
			 Islington 5,146 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5,034 
			 Lewisham 4,997 
			 Westminster 4,853 
			 Greenwich 4,745 
			 Newham 4,526 
			 Wandsworth 4,513 
			 Haringey 4,478 
			 Ealing 4,339 
			 Brent 4,316 
			 Hounslow 4,167 
			 Waltham Forest 4,115 
			 Manchester 4,104 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,097 
			 Barnet 4,081 
			 Harrow 4,051 
			 Nottingham 4,041 
			 Merton 4,004 
			 Birmingham 4,000 
			 Enfield 3,984 
			 Bristol, City of 3,929 
			 Hillingdon 3,919 
			 Slough 3,911 
			 Salford 3,877 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,873 
			 Liverpool 3,851 
			 Halton 3,832 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 3,828 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,826 
			 Luton 3,819 
			 Button 3,810 
			 Croydon 3,806 
			 Reading 3,797 
			 Sandwell 3,762 
			 Middlesbrough 3,759 
			 Redbridge 3,757 
			 Rochdale 3,744 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 3,738 
			 Knowsley 3,737 
			 Bexley 3,723 
			 North East Lincolnshire 3,719 
			 Havering 3,719 
			 Thurrock 3,708 
			 Leicester 3,700 
			 Southampton 3,697 
			 Coventry 3,696 
			 Brighton and Hove 3,692 
			 Oldham 3,687 
			 Wolverhampton 3,684 
			 Peterborough 3,681 
			 South Tyneside 3,670 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 3,651 
			 Portsmouth 3,650 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 3,643 
			 Bradford 3,642 
			 Isle of Wight 3,640 
			 Rotherham 3,633 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 3,627 
			 Medway 3,626 
			 Milton Keynes 3,620 
			 Hartlepool 3,620 
			 Southend-on-Sea 3,620 
			 East Sussex 3,598 
			 Bracknell Forest 3,590 
			 Gateshead 3,585 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 3,583 
			 Durham 3,581 
			 Tameside 3,578 
			 St Helens 3,577 
			 Walsall 3,577 
			 Sunderland 3,576 
			 Derby 3,574 
			 Blackpool 3,573 
			 Surrey 3,569 
			 West Berkshire 3,569 
			 Bolton 3,567 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 3,562 
			 Wigan 3,552 
			 Dudley 3,549 
			 Darlington 3,547 
			 Kirklees 3,543 
			 Doncaster 3,541 
			 Bury 3,537 
			 Lancashire 3,536 
			 Leeds 3,532 
			 Sheffield 3,529 
			 Bromley 3,525 
			 Torbay 3,525 
			 Essex 3,524 
			 Sefton 3,523 
			 Kent 3,523 
			 Calderdale 3,520 
			 Rutland 3,520 
			 Telford and Wrekin 3,515 
			 Wirral 3,514 
			 Hertfordshire 3,507 
			 Buckinghamshire 3,507 
			 Plymouth 3,493 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 3,492 
			 West Sussex 3,489 
			 Wakefield 3,488 
			 Stockport 3,484 
			 Oxfordshire 3,480 
			 Cheshire 3,471 
			 North Yorkshire 3,458 
			 Nottinghamshire 3,457 
			 Barnsley 3,452 
			 North Tyneside 3,451 
			 Cumbria 3,447 
			 Hampshire 3,441 
			 Bournemouth 3,435 
			 North Lincolnshire 3,435 
			 Trafford 3,432 
			 Derbyshire 3,429 
			 Norfolk 3,423 
			 Wokingham 3,422 
			 Dorset 3,418 
			 Warrington 3,414 
			 Lincolnshire 3,414 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,407 
			 Bedfordshire 3,407 
			 Warwickshire 3,404 
			 York 3,397 
			 Northamptonshire 3,384 
			 Staffordshire 3,381 
			 Swindon 3,378 
			 Suffolk 3,372 
			 Somerset 3,365 
			 Cornwall 3,362 
			 Gloucestershire 3,358 
			 North Somerset 3,357 
			 Poole 3,349 
			 Solihull 3,342 
			 Shropshire 3,339 
			 Wiltshire 3,337 
			 Worcestershire 3,337 
			 Devon 3,335 
			 Northumberland 3,330 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 3,322 
			 Herefordshire 3,297 
			 South Gloucestershire 3,281 
			 Leicestershire 3,224 
		
	
	Note:
	Isles of Scilly has been omitted from the table, since special funding arrangements apply.

Exam Results

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average A-level attainment has been of entrants to undergraduate courses leading to qualified teacher status in each year since 1995.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the following table. Figures for 2004/05 will be available in January 2006.
	
		Average A level points for English domiciled entrants toEnglish HE institutions who have one or more A level qualifications on entry and who are aiming for thequalification of first degree with QTS
		
			 Academic year Average A level points(5) Number of entrants 
		
		
			 1995/96 12 6,135 
			 1996/97 12 5,710 
			 1997/98 13 5,735 
			 1998/99 15 5,350 
			 1999/2000 14 4,925 
			 2000/01 14 4,775 
			 2001/02 15 4,765 
			 2002/03 202 4,315 
			 2003/04 201 4,855 
		
	
	(5)Figures up to and including 2001/02 are based upon students who hold one or more A level (or AS equivalent) qualification on entry. The average score given is based upon the A level points for the student's best three A levels (or AS equivalents). For 2002/03 onwards, figures are based upon students who hold either GCE A level or VCE A' level qualifications. The average score given is the average tariff points score based upon all A level qualifications (not just the best three).
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.

Higher Education

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average pay of teachers in higher education was in 200405; and what percentage change in their pay there has been in the last three years.

Bill Rammell: The latest available figures are shown in the table. Figures for 2004/05 will be available in January 2006. Significant changes were made to the content, structure, coverage and definitions of the source data in 2003/04 which means that the figures for that year are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	
		Average salary(6)of full-time HE academic staff with teaching responsibilities, HE institutions in the UK
		
			  2000/01 () 2001/02 () 2002/03 () Percentage change 2000/01 to 2002/03 2003/04 
		
		
			 Professors 52,400 53,900 56,200 7.2 56,900 
			 Senior lecturers(7)and researchers 38,500 39,500 40,700 5.8 41 ,800 
			 Lecturers 29,400 30,300 31,600 7.5 32,500 
		
	
	(6)The HESA Staff Record changed markedly in structure, coverage and content in 2003/04. In addition, the definition of salary changed. For the years up to 2002/03, salary represented the monies received in respect of institutional duties actually being paid on the date of the HESA staff count (31 July) or for those who have left during the year, the salary on leaving, including any regular payments for additional duties, responsibility allowances or honoraria regardless of their source. In 2003/04, the salary represented the gross basic salary per annum, in pounds sterling as stated in the contract at the reference date of HESA's staff count or at the end date of the contract if earlier, excluding any regular payments for additional duties, responsibility allowances or honoraria, regardless of their source.
	(7)Including Principal Lecturers.
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Learner Support Funds

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the learner support funds were distributed to (a) 14 to 16-year-olds, (b) 16 to 19-year-olds and (c) those aged over 19 years in (i) 200304 and (ii) 200405; and what estimate she has made of the likely proportion in (A) 200506, (B) 200607 and (C) 200708.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Adult/youth split
		
			  Actual Planned 
			  200304 200405 200506 200607 200708 
		
		
			 Young People (1619) 216 337 481 584 606 
			 Adults (19+) 113 116 115 127 134 
			 Total financial support for learners in FE 329 453 596 711 740 
		
	
	Learner support funds are not paid to learners under age 16. However Care to Learn, which provides help with child care costs for young parents who want to continue in learning, has been available to pre-16s since 1 August 2004. Care to Learn helped 431 pre-16s in that year, the youngest of whom was 13. The total cost for pre-16s was just under 308,000 for that academic year.

Learning and Skills Council

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answers of 9 November 2005, Official Report, column 598W, and 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 124W, on Learning and Skills Council, what the Learning and Skills Council's core administration costs were in 200102; and why different figures were provided in each answer.

Bill Rammell: The LSC's core administration costs for 200102 were 3.4 per cent. The figures quoted in the answer of 9 November 2005, Official Report, column 598W, were taken from the LSC's Annual Accounts for 200102 which include costs incurred in the last seven months 200001 for the setting up of the LSC. This gives an overall administration spend of 4.6 per cent. of total expenditure. The answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 124W, provided administration costs solely for the 12 months of 200102 which give an actual figure of 3.4 per cent.

Nursery Places

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the cost of providing a nursery place for every child of two years and above in (a) England and (b) the most deprived (i) quartile and (ii) decile of electoral wards.

Beverley Hughes: The Government do not fund free nursery education places for children aged two and there are currently no plans to do so. However, local authorities are fully funded to meet their statutory responsibilities to deliver a free part-time place for three and four-year-olds through their Education Formula Spending Share (EFSS)their main education budget. Overall resources are determined by means of a national formula, taking into account local factors including deprivation, ethnicity and area costs. From April 2006 funding for the free entitlement is being consolidated within the new Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) arrangements. This will place a ring-fence around education spending while maintaining flexibility for local authorities to determine the distribution of funding in the light of local needs and circumstances.

Office for Fair Access

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to publish the work of the Office for Fair Access; and what steps she is taking to monitor its progress.

Bill Rammell: The Office for Fair Access has made excellent progress in approving access agreements for higher education institutions. Details of its work have been published in its annual report in July 2005 and strategic plan in December 2005, copies of which are being placed in the Library. We use these, and periodic discussions with Sir Martin Harris, to review progress.

Synthetic Phonics

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of schools in Morecambe and Lunesdale which teach children to read using synthetic phonics.

Jacqui Smith: We do not have figures on the number of schools using synthetics phonics in the teaching of reading. However, the use of synthetic phonics is a key part of the approach to teaching reading advocated by the Primary National Strategy, as well as being available in commercial phonics packages, and is therefore widespread.
	The interim report of Jim Rose's independent review into the teaching of early reading has given valuable advice on the way in which the teaching of synthetic phonics should develop in future. We will implement the approach that he has suggested, drawing on his interim report and the final report due early in 2006, in our renewal of the framework for literacy teaching.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Commercial Waste

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to promote the recycling of commercial waste.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government have a target to reduce the amount of commercial and industrial waste going to landfill by 15 per cent. between 1998 and this year.
	On the evidence of progress to 2002 we expect now to have met this target.

Common Agricultural Policy

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with EU counterparts on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Jim Knight: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has brokered a deal on major reform of the CAP sugar regime, discussed the Government's vision for fundamental CAP reform published earlier this month and chaired EU ministerial discussions on agricultural trade liberalisation in the context of the WTO negotiations.

Supermarkets Code of Practice

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with colleagues in the Department for Trade and Industry on the Supermarkets Code of Practice.

Jim Knight: I have had informal discussions about the Code with my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment and Consumer Affairs (Mr. Sutcliffe), and will be continuing these.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle were slaughtered in the last recorded month as a result of bovine tuberculosis.

Ben Bradshaw: 1,831 reactor cattle and 340 direct contact (2,171) cattle were slaughtered as a result of bovine tuberculosis in October 2005.

Christmas Trees

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the environmental impact of (a) artificial and (b) natural Christmas trees; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not carried out any comparative life-cycle assessments in this field.

Dog Registration Scheme

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Canine Crisis Council and (b) other organisations about a proposal for a dog registration scheme; what her policy is on a dog registration scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not held any recent discussions with organisations on this issue. However, the Government fully supports a voluntary dog registration scheme.

Environmental Crimes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will increase the penalties for environmental crimes; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Government has been increasing the penalties available for environmental crimes, for example through the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. How to improve further the impact of environmental enforcement and sanctions is being examined under the Government's cross departmental Review of Enforcement in Environmental Regulation.
	The environmental enforcement review, led by Defra, is drawing together evidence to better define obstacles to effective enforcement before reaching conclusions about possible solutions in summer 2006. It will draw on contributions from all parties to the enforcement process, including enforcers, business, the wider community, and the courts, who determine penalties in specific criminal cases. The Government will then consider whether further measures are needed.
	An examination of the sanctioning tools related to a wide range of regulators, including those in the environmental field is being carried out by the Better Regulation Executive Penalties Review, which was launched with a discussion document on 7 December. It will report in autumn 2006.
	Both reviews will contribute to the pursuit of better regulation, and share the aim of making enforcement more proportionate. Serious offences should be met by tough sanctions which will really change damaging behaviour for the better, and ensure a level playing field for law-abiding businesses.

Exmoor National Park

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the budget for Exmoor National Park was in each year since 200001.

Jim Knight: The annual National Park Grant allocation for Exmoor National Park Authority since 200001 is as follows:
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 200001 2.369 
			 200102 2.583 
			 200203 2.935 
			 200304 3.519 
			 200405 3.291 
			 200506 3.616

GM Crops

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact on organic food of the growing of GM crops.

Elliot Morley: We will issue a consultation paper next year setting out proposals for managing the co-existence of GM and non-GM production. This will also discuss whether special arrangements should apply in the case of co-existence between GM and organic crops.

GM Crops

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had on the locations for growing GM maize in England.

Elliot Morley: The Department has not had any recent discussions on the locations for growing GM maize in England. No GM maize suitable for UK conditions is currently authorised for cultivation, and we do not anticipate that any GM maize will be grown in England for the next few years.
	GM maize has been grown in England in the past for research purposes. The last trials were completed in 2002. The locations of the trial sites are available on the DEFRA website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/fse/location/index.htm
	We expect to publish a consultation paper on proposals for co-existence in the cultivation of GM and non-GM crops next year.

Government Decontamination Service

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received on the establishment of the Government Decontamination Service; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The project team responsible for setting up the Government Decontamination Service consulted widely and by several means to seek the views of its stakeholders. Representations were received from central Government, local authorities and emergency planners, emergency services' representatives, specialist suppliers who might provide the decontamination services required, and a range of public and private sector bodies responsible for assets or infrastructure of national importance.
	The clearest messages from those representations were that the GDS should concentrate its resources on its core functions: the establishment of a contractual framework of specialist suppliers that could provide the decontamination services required, which has now been done, and the provision of advice and guidance on decontamination, which is a key ongoing function of the service.

Government Decontamination Service

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff are employed in the Government Decontamination Service; and what the total annual salary costs of the service are.

Elliot Morley: The Government Decontamination Service (GDS) was set up as an executive agency of Defra on 1 October 2005. The service is currently recruiting staff to bring it up to complement. When fully staffed, the GDS will employ 26 people. The projected annual staff costs (including employers pension and national insurance contributions) is approximately 1.02 million.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action the Government are taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Elliot Morley: The Government set out its policy on reducing emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered under the Kyoto protocol in its publication climate change: The UK programme (CM 4913) in 2000. We have introduced a set of flexible measures covering a range of different sectorsincluding energy supply, transport, agriculture, business and households.
	The Government are currently carrying out a review of the UK climate change programme which is looking at how existing policies are performing and the range of policies which might be put in place in the future to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Government are aiming to publish a revised UK climate change programme early next year.

Habitats Directive

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance is being prepared for those organisations responsible for implementing in the UK the provisions of the habitats directive.

Jim Knight: Guidance on the application of the habitats directive for planning authorities was contained in DEFRA circular 01/2005 of 16 August 2005 biodiversity and geological conservationstatutory obligations and their impact within the planning system. The circular compliments the expression of national planning policy in the co-published planning policy statement 9, biodiversity and geological conservation (PPS9) and the accompanying good practice guide, which is currently under preparation.
	DEFRA policy guidance on coastal squeeze implications for flood managementrequirements of the European birds and habitats directives was published by my department on 21 September 2005 and there are also a set of habitats regulations guidance notes which have been published by English Nature.
	The Department is currently involved in developing guidance on the implications of the habitats directive for developers undertaking offshore windfarm development and a protocol for maintenance dredging in European marine sites. The need for any further guidance is being kept under review.

Home Energy Efficiency

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding is made available by her Department to provide homes with central heating; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Government's main tool for tackling fuel poverty in the private sector in England is the Warm Front Scheme. The Scheme provides a range of heating and insulation measures to householders in receipt of certain benefits.
	In the pre-Budget report, it was announced that an additional 300 million would be made available to tackle fuel poverty across the UK. In England, this means that an additional 250 million will be made available both to boost the Warm Front Scheme and extend its ability to provide central heating, and to provide 300 towards the cost of a central heating system for all other pensioners. This means that total funding for the Scheme in the 200508 period will be over 800 million.

Pet Food

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of feeding pets processed pet foods rather than natural foods.

Ben Bradshaw: No research has been commissioned by DEFRA in this area.

Poultry

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how her Department plans to assess the percentage of poultry owners that fulfil the requirement to register their flocks under the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) Regulations 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: This percentage will be estimated in two complementary ways: firstly by the usual activities of the enforcement authorities and secondly, by cross-validation of the entries in the GB poultry register against a consolidated dataset which has been created from ten existing partial data sets about poultry which Government holds.

Poultry

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what basis a flock size of 50 birds was chosen as the level at which poultry owners must register their birds under the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) Regulations 2005; and whether there are plans to require owners of less than 50 birds to register birds.

Ben Bradshaw: The decision to restrict the requirement to register to commercial flocks of 50 or more birds was based on advice from an expert group which considered that only flocks of this size would be likely to play a significant role in the spread of Avian Influenza. From a logistical point of view it was seen as a priority to focus on gathering information from these larger flocks. Once this has been achieved, it will be possible for owners of smaller flocks to register on a voluntary basis should they so wish. We could also revise the mandatory requirement to include smaller flocks at a later date, should experts and others consider that this would confer sufficient added benefits to justify the costs.

Poultry

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is permissible for poultry dealers to buy in birds from various individuals and locations and subsequently hold a sale of those birds on one site.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 6 December 2005
	Sales by a single poultry dealer are not classed as a bird gathering and are not therefore covered by the precautionary measures introduced to reduce the risks of gatherings.

Research and Development

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government have spent on the research and development of (a) energy conservation and (b) energy efficiency measures in each year since 1980; and what further sums are planned to be spent.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 12 December 2005
	The Government does not have information on spending on these programmes over the period 19802005, nor on the detailed split between energy efficiency and energy conservation. Over the period 20022005, the UK spent approximately 15 million per year on RDD into demand-side energy-efficient technology; about 12millon from UK public bodies and 2.8 million from the European Commission framework programmes.

Rural Communities

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to sustain rural communities.

Jim Knight: In its rural strategy 2004, the Government announced an ambitious and targeted set of policy priorities for rural communities and for enhancing our natural environment, together with radical reforms for their delivery in the most customer-focussed, effective and efficient way, all firmly within a sustainable development framework.
	Since the general election in May we have reinforced those priorities through actions such as the establishment of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission, the announcement of a new rural social and community funding programme and the introduction of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill. The Bill seeks, among other things, to establish both the Commission for Rural Communitiesan expert advisor, advocate and watchdog for rural communitiesand Natural Englanda new integrated agency to conserve and enhance the natural environment.

Rural Housing

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding will be given to national parks to assist with providing rural housing to encourage young people to stay in their areas.

Jim Knight: The National Park Authorities have a duty to seek to foster the social and economic well-being of local communities. However no specific amounts are ring-fenced within the National Park Grant. ODPM does not make any allocation to National Parks specifically for housing.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated unit cost of compliance with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive is for a television set.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	This will vary according to the size and weight of TV and the proximity of treatment centres.

Waterways

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to receive a representation from British Waterways on an agreed future licence fee structure for boat owners on waterways.

Jim Knight: This is an operational matter for British Waterways. Last year, British Waterways consulted publicly about proposed changes to its licence fee structure. In the light of the responses, it has produced a further consultation paper setting out revised proposals. The closing date for responses is 16 January 2006. I expect British Waterways to let me know in due course how it intends to proceed.

World Water Forum (Mexico City)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  who from her Department will attend the World Water Forum in Mexico City in March 2006; and what her Department's role will be at the forum;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the World Water Forum being held in Mexico City in March 2006.

Elliot Morley: Defra officials will attend the forum as part of the UK delegation and are continuing to work closely with DfID who are the lead Department on preparations for this event.

HEALTH

Blindness

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) parents understand the importance of eye examinations for children and (b) young people and adults have regular eye examinations.

Rosie Winterton: Free sight tests are available under the national health service to large parts of the population including children, those aged 16 to 18 in full-time education, people on benefits, those people at particular risk of developing eye disease, and people who are registered blind or partially sighted or who have a complex spectacle prescription. Sight tests allow the opportunity to review all aspects of eye health, including investigations for signs of disease. Those at risk of specific eye disease, for example diabetic retinopathy, may be asked to attend regular screening.
	Information about the extensive arrangements for providing help with NHS optical services and other health costs are publicised in leaflet HC11 Are you entitled to help with health costs? Posters are also available for display in optical practices and hospital out-patient departments.
	The number of NHS sight tests undertaken continues to increase. In 200405, there were 10.1 million NHS sight tests, an increase of 3 per cent. on 200304.
	We have also promoted a system of child health and development checks. The programme of home visiting and community development makes an important contribution to many areas of health education and fosters the early detection of problems, including those associated with eye sight, in young, pre-school children.

Contagious Diseases

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2005, Official Report, column 1222W, on contagious diseases, whether her Department plans to issue new regulations under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984.

Caroline Flint: The Department has no current plans to issue new regulations under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act.

Contagious Diseases

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2005, Official Report, column 1222W, on contagious diseases, how many applications have been (a) made and (b) granted under sections 37 and 38 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 and the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1988 in each year since 1988.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 15 December 2005
	The Department does not collect this information.

Contagious Diseases

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2005, Official Report, column 1222W, on contagious diseases, whether an individual who had contracted avian influenza could be removed to, and detained in, hospital under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 or associated regulations.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 14 December 2005
	In principle, regulations could be made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 to make the powers in sections 37 and 38 of the Act available for avian influenza that was known to pass from one human to another. However, the Department has no current plans to do so. The H5N1 strain of avian influenza currently circulating in South East Asia and elsewhere is a disease which mainly affects birds. It has been contracted by some people through close contact with poultry, but is unlikely to be passed from one human to another.

Continence Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to respond to the findings of the Royal College of Physician's Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit in its audit of continence services for older people.

Liam Byrne: Primary care trusts are responsible within their areas for providing quality services to their patients. This includes delivering the standards on continence care for older people, as set out in the national service framework for older people.
	The Healthcare Commission has responsibility for assessing progress towards achieving these standards.

Dr. Ann David

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will require a re-examination of the standard and conduct of work performed by Dr. Ann David during her employment in the West Midlands prior to her employment in Essex; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 28 November 2005
	The strategic health authority and national health service trust concerned have undertaken a review of Dr. David's work, from the period she was employed in the West Midlands. It is their opinion that the review did not raise any concerns regarding Dr. David's work during her employment with them. Should further concerns arise or further evidence come to light it is for the trust to decide what, if any, further review may be necessary.

Emergency Beds

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the baseline is for her Department's public service agreement target to reduce emergency bed days by 5 per cent. by 2008; when the target was set; and what progress has been made towards meeting the target.

Liam Byrne: The baseline year for the Department's target to reduce emergency bed days by 5 per cent. by 2008 is 200304. The target was agreed with HM Treasury as part of the 2004 spending review. The latest available data, for 200405, shows a 2 per cent. reduction in emergency bed days from the baseline year. Latest progress against public service agreement targets can be found in the Autumn Performance Report 2005, available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/42/52/04124252.pdf

Epilepsy

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action her Department has taken to reduce sudden death by epilepsy since the publication of the Government's Action Plan on Epilepsy in 2003; what assessment she has made of the progress that has been made in reducing the levels of sudden death by epilepsy since the publication of the Action Plan; and what guidance she has given to practitioners to ensure patients with epilepsy are fully informed about the risks of sudden death from the condition.

Liam Byrne: Although the specific cause of sudden death by epilepsy (SUDEP) is unknown, the risks are considered greater for patients whose epilepsy is poorly controlled. Action to reduce SUDEP has therefore concentrated on improving epilepsy is poorly controlled. Action to reduce SUDEP has therefore concentrated on improving epilepsy services in general, raising awareness of SUDEP, and the introduction of new more effective drugs to control seizures.
	As part of the Action Plan on Epilepsy'' the Modernisation Agency ran Action on Neurology in 200405 at eight pilot sites. These included:
	delivering high quality epilepsy service without the need for patients to travel far by the use of electronic and paper patient-held records.
	improving communications between primary, secondary and tertiary care by developing a network of healthcare professionals to deliver a coordinated service.
	developing general practitioner services for people with epilepsy and headaches and a primary care triage system to improve access and efficiency.
	The national service framework for long-term conditions was published in March 2005. This focuses on improving neurological services across the country for a range of conditions including epilepsy.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on the clinical and cost effectiveness of new epilepsy drugs in adults (March 2004) and children (April 2004).
	We have commissioned NICE to produce clinical guidelines for the diagnosis, management and treatment of epilepsy. This guidance, published in October 2004, specifically covers the importance of informing patients and their families of the risks of sudden death in epilepsy. In addition, we have made a grant of almost 290,000 to the National Society for Epilepsy to improve support and information for people with epilepsy and their families.

HIV/AIDS

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the merits of different means of providing anti-retroviral drugs to HIV/AIDS sufferers.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 14 December 2005
	Primary care trusts are responsible for providing HIV prevention, treatment and care services which meet the needs of their local populations. To support them in this role, the Department has published best practice guidance, Effective Commissioning of Sexual Health and HIV Services (2003). This includes advice on commissioning treatment services for people with HIV and AIDS.

Hospital Facilities

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of NHS in-patient beds (a) are in mixed sex sleeping areas and (b) share (i) mixed sex washing facilities and (ii) mixed sex toilet facilities.

Rosie Winterton: Nationally, 97 per cent. of national health service trusts report that they are fully compliant with the standards that we have set for the provision of single-sex accommodation. Information on the location of in-patient beds within each trust, and their adjacency to toilet and washing facilities, is not collected.
	The small number of trusts who have yet to meet our standards are undertaking building works which will bring them to full compliance.

Immunisation

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether her Department piloted the introduction of the five-in-one vaccine; what plans she has to review the take-up of MMR following the introduction of the five-in-one vaccine; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what targets have been set for the take-up of childhood immunisation; what assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction of the five-in-one vaccine on the achievement of that target; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 1 December 2005
	Before being licensed, all medicines including vaccines are thoroughly tested to ensure that they are safe, of a high quality and are efficacious (effective). The introduction of Pediacel was recommended by joint committee on vaccination and immunisation after careful consideration all of the available data and research, including experience of the use of a similar vaccine (Pentacel) in Canada.
	Information on the uptake of routine childhood immunisations in the United Kingdom is routinely collected by the Health Protection Agency through the COVER programme (Cover of Vaccination Evaluated Rapidly). Coverage of diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis, Hib and Meningitis C at one, two and five years of age, and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) at two and five years, is published quarterly in CDR weekly on the Health Protection Agency's website at www.hpa.org.uk/cdr/default.htm.
	Only children born after July or August 2004 would have been offered Pediacel exclusively rather than for completion of a primary course already started. Information on coverage at one year of age for this cohort has not yet been evaluated through the routine COVER programme. This data will begin to come through the routine COVER programme data collection from December this year and will be published.
	We are, therefore, unable to comment on whether there has been a change in uptake due to the introduction of Pediacel, including MMR.

Influenza Vaccine

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the likelihood of developing a DNA vaccine for use in the event of an influenza pandemic.

Rosie Winterton: We are currently in discussions with vaccine manufacturers regarding the development of a vaccine against pandemic flu. Officials have had discussions with a manufacturer that is working on DNA vaccines, including their potential for use during a pandemic. However, it is likely to be some years before a DNA flu vaccine could be available.

Kent and Canterbury Hospital

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future of the urology unit at the Kent and Canterbury hospital.

Caroline Flint: This is a local matter. It is for local national health service organisations to determine how best to use their resources to plan and develop services to meet the needs of their local community. However, the Kent and Medway strategic health authority has advised that it is anticipated that an announcement on the review of urology services at Kent and Canterbury hospital will be made following a meeting to be held on 19 December 2005.

Mental Health

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adolescent mental health beds there are in Milton Keynes.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not hold the information in the format requested.
	Departmental figures for 200405 show that there are no beds classed as mental illness: children: short stay or mental illness: children: long stay at either Milton Keynes general hospital or the Milton Keynes primary care trust. These categories include adolescents.

NHS Dentistry

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have left the NHS to work in private practice in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The number of dentists who have left the general dental service (GDS) and personal dental service (PDS) in England as at 30 September each year is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Leavers 
		
		
			 1995 910 
			 1996 821 
			 1997 947 
			 1998 972 
			 1999 1,037 
			 2000 1,206 
			 2001 1,207 
			 2002 1,352 
			 2003 1,236 
			 2004 1,224 
			 2005 1,097 
		
	
	A dentist is assumed to have left the national health service if they had an open GDS or PDS contract in September of the previous year but no GDS or PDS contract in September of the specified year.
	The dental practice board does not record the reasons for joining or leaving the NHS. The figures given will include dentists who have retired from practice and dentists who have moved to private practice.

Palliative Care

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the Hospice at Home service will be brought into line with the Payment by Results scheme for palliative care; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the likely impact of Payment by Results on statutory funding for services for palliative care commissioned from voluntary providers; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Work to develop healthcare resource groups for specialist palliative care, which will inform the implementation of Payment by Results, is ongoing. Part of this work will include consideration of the funding implications of introducing Payment by Results in specialist palliative care.
	Healthcare resource groups are not being developed for Hospice at Home services. However, consideration is being given to the development of healthcare resource groups for community care services other than in palliative care and once this work, together with consideration of the results of the Your Health, Your Care, Your Say consultation, is complete, we will be able to give this issue further consideration.

Palliative Care

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what public funding for palliative care was allocated for 200506; and what the total annual funding will be when the Government have met the Labour manifesto commitment to double spending on palliative care;
	(2)  if she will ensure that additional funding for palliative care promised in the Labour manifesto covers (a) full cost recovery and (b) Payment by Results.

Liam Byrne: Primary care trusts are responsible within the national health service for commissioning and funding services for their resident populations, including palliative care. This would include meeting any costs associated with full cost recovery, recommended in the HM Treasury's Cross Cutting Review on the Role of the Voluntary Sector in Service Delivery or the implementation of Payment by Results. The Department does not routinely collect data on the amount of funding allocated locally for palliative care services, although, as pledged in the NHS Cancer Plan 2000, an additional 50 million per annum was allocated to primary care trusts in 200506 for specialist palliative care.
	The details of delivering our manifesto commitment are being discussed with a range of key stakeholders. Alongside this, the views of the public, service users and staff on end of life care was one of the issues covered in the Your Health, Your Care, Your Say consultation. We will take account of what people have said in this consultation in the way we discharge our manifesto commitment.

Primary Care Trust Commissioning (Oxfordshire)

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 29 November 2005, Official Report, column 405W, on primary care trust commissioning (Oxfordshire), whether discussions regarding the proposal to put primary care trust commissioning out to tender was initiated by Thames Valley strategic health authority.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 13 December 2005
	Thames Valley strategic health authority (SHA) sought advice from the Department about the inclusion of this proposal as part of its 15 October reconfiguration submission. We advised that it should not be explored as part of the forthcoming reconfiguration exercise, as it is for the new organisations, not current ones to decide how best to manage their responsibilities after reconfiguration. This was confirmed in a letter to Thames Valley SHA on 30 November, which set out the options and conditions for consultation on the reconfiguration proposals.

Royal Liverpool University Hospital

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the proposals are for the development of services at the Royal Liverpool university hospital under the private finance initiative;
	(2)  what consultations her Department plans to hold on the future of services at the Royal Liverpool university hospital.

Liam Byrne: The strategic outline case (SOC) for the development of the Royal Liverpool university hospital was approved in July 2004.
	The SOC proposal was for all of the current services to be re-provided in a new build of the Royal Liverpool university hospital on the existing site expanding eastwards. Cheshire and Merseyside strategic health authority report that the exact service configuration will need to be agreed before the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen university hospitals national health service trust can develop a public sector comparator to allow it to test affordability and value for money within the outline business case (OBC).
	Once the location of the proposed new hospital and the configuration of services have been identified the local health community will need to undergo a formal consultation exercise as part of the OBC process, prior to consideration by the Department.

Turnaround Teams

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health into which NHS organisations in West Yorkshire her Department intends to send turnaround teams.

Liam Byrne: It is planned that there is an assessment with the West Yorkshire strategic health authority of the financial position of the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals National Health Service Trust.

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) have been notified in each year since the disease was first recognised; and how many of these resulted in (a) deaths from definite vCJD and (b) deaths from probable vCJD.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Case reports and deaths from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) from 1995 to date
		
			   Deaths 
			  vCJD cases reported Definite Probable 
		
		
			 1995 8 3 0 
			 1996 9 9 1 
			 1997 13 10 0 
			 1998 20 16 2 
			 1999 16 15 0 
			 2000 29 24 4 
			 2001 21 13 7 
			 2002 15 5 12 
			 2003 16 9 9 
			 2004 6 3 6 
			 2005(8) 6 2 3 
			 Total 159 109 44 
		
	
	(8)To 5 December 2005.
	Note:
	There is no correlation between reports and deaths in the columns in the table for any one year as reporting, diagnosis and death in any one case may not occur in the same year.
	Source:
	National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit (NCJDSU), Edinburgh.

Wheelchairs

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for NHS patients in England for a bespoke powered wheelchair.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not held centrally.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Assets Recovery Agency

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value is of assets (a) realised and (b) frozen by the Assets Recovery Agency which have been derived from (i) corrupt activities overseas and (ii) the theft of foreign states' assets.

Paul Goggins: The Assets Recovery Agency has not yet undertaken any work in freezing and recovering the proceeds of corruption committed overseas. The imminent coming into force of secondary legislation under the Proceeds of Crime Act will provide more powers for the UK to deal with requests from foreign States about assets in this country derived from all criminal activity, including corruption.

Cannabis

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what change there has been in the number of (a) arrests and (b) prosecutions for (i)dealing and (ii) possession since the reclassification of cannabis as a class C drug.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 5 December 2005
	The available information is included in the Drug Offenders in England and Wales annual publications.
	
		Table 1: Persons dealt with for cannabis offences inEngland and Wales2003
		
			  Dealing offences Possession offences 
		
		
			 Cautions 590 38,130 
			 Convictions 2,970 39,360 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Persons dealt with for cannabis offences inEngland and Wales, 2004(9)
		
			  Dealing offences Possession offences 
		
		
			 Formal warnings(10) n/a 27,520 
			 Cautions 570 22,530 
			 Convictions 2,500 22,960 
		
	
	(9)Due to the re-classification of cannabis from class B to class C and the introduction of police formal warnings, data for 2004 should not be directly compared to those of previous years.
	(10)Formal warnings are only given for cannabis possession offences. Data relates to AprilDecember 2004.

Change Up Programme

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the establishment of the agency to drive forward the implementation of change up.

Paul Goggins: In March this year, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced a further 70 million for change up and his intention to set up the Capacity Builders Agency to take this programme of investment forward. This is in addition to the initial 80 million investment in the change up programme from 20042006.
	Change up is a capacity building framework for the voluntary and community sector, which has a ten year vision that by 2014 the needs of frontline voluntary and community organisations will be met by nationwide support which is structured for maximum efficiency, offers provision which is accessible to all, reflects and promotes diversity and is sustainably funded.
	The Capacity Builders Agency will build on the good work to date and will manage the change up framework at arms-length from Government. It will take ownership of fund management, ensure the programme is joined up and co-ordinated, mainstream diversity issues into the design and delivery of activities within change up and ensure real time action learning and longer term evaluation.
	On 16 November, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced the agency's new top team. The new chair is Chris Pond, the chief executive of the National Council for One Parent Families and formerly MP for Gravesham (19972005) and Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Department of Work and Pensions. Simon Hebditch has been named chief executive of the agency.
	Simon is currently executive director of external affairs for the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). The chair and chief executive will be joined by a board consisting of: Caryl Agard, David Baxter, Margaret Bolton, David Harbourne, Roger Singleton and Margaret Talbot. Work is also continuing on the location, shape and function of the agency. A programme board which comprises representation from central and local Government and the sector meets every six weeks to drive forward the establishment of the Capacity Builders Agency.

Closed Religious Orders

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he expects the effect of the Charities Bill will be on the charitable status of closed religious orders; how many such orders qualify for charitable status; if he will place in the Library a list of those orders which qualify for charitable status; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 12 December 2005
	Entirely closed religious orders are not now charitable. The Charities Bill, if enacted in its current form, will not change this position.

Countryside Alliance Protests (Parliament Square)

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Acts during investigations of offences alleged to have been committed at, immediately after, or in connection with the Countryside Alliance protests in Parliament Square on 15 September 2004.

Charles Clarke: The police have advised that no-one has been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 as the result of investigations linked to the Countryside Alliance protest on 15 September 2004.

Cyclists

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pedal cyclists have been convicted of offences relating to contravention of road traffic acts in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform is given in the following table. It shows the number of offenders found guilty at the magistrates court for offences connected with pedal cycles, England and Wales, 200004. Court statistics for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.
	
		Number of offenders found guilty at magistrates courts for offences connected with pedal cycles, England and Wales, 200004(11)
		
			 Offence description Principal statute 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Riding to common danger Highway Act 1835 S.78; Metropolitan Police Act 1839 S.54(5) 1 1  1 2 4 
			 Being towed Road Traffic Act 1988 S.26   2   1 
			 Neglect of traffic directions Road Traffic Act 1988 SS.35  36 60 47 34 16 31 30 
			 More than one person carried Road Traffic Act 1988 S.24 7 7 2 4 5 4 
			 Riding on footpath Highways Act 1835 S.72 (as amended by Local Government Act 1888 S.85(1), Statute Law Revision (No2) Act 1888, Highways Act 1959 Sch 25, Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sch 3 and Criminal Justice Act 1982 SS.39  46  Sch.3); Metropolitan Police Act 1839 S.54(7) and byelaws 323 171 112 79 82 92 
			 Offences in relation to pedestrian crossings Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 S.25(5) 4   1 2  
			 Failing to obey signal Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 S.28(3) 41 5 8 7 4 5 
			 No brakesfailure to comply with the Pedal Cycles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1983 16 10 11 10 11 16 
			 Reckless and dangerous driving by pedal cyclist Road Traffic Act 1988 S.28 29 23 19 18 18 32 
			 Careless driving by pedal cyclist Road Traffic Act 1988 S.29 105 84 60 54 59 73 
			 Pedal cyclist driving under the influence of drink or drugs Road Traffic Act 1988 S.30 76 58 38 38 43 40 
			 Promoting unauthorised cycle race on public highway Road Traffic Act 1988 S.31 1 1 
			 Offences under Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 S.17(4); Motorways Traffic (England and Wales) Regulations 1982 Reg. 15 5 8 3 2  1 
			 Taking or riding a pedal cycle without consent etc. Theft Act 1968 S. 129(5) or byelaw 176 179 157 138 160 183 
			 Rider of a cycle failing to give name and address Road Traffic Act 1988 S.168(b)  2 2 1 1  
			 Lighting offences Road Traffic Act 1988 S.81 and Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 396 229 149 141 166 141 
			 Other offences Various acts 22 12 14 3 6 42 
			   1,265 837 611 513 590 666 
		
	
	(11)These data are on the principal offence basis

Departmental Estate

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost was of relocating the Home Office.

Charles Clarke: The relocation of the Home Office was carried out through a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project the capital costs of which were met by Annes Gate Property plc. My Department pays a combined charge for the accommodation, facilities and other services provided under the PFI contract. For the financial year 200506 the amount is expected to be 32.7 million. In addition 12.6 million was spent between January 2002-April 2005 on technical assurance for the project, clearing the surplus buildings, relocating ICT equipment and associated activities.

Departmental Guidance (Evidence/Documentary Access)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is with regard to (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department giving evidence to the (i) Scottish Parliament, (ii) National Assembly for Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland Assembly committees; and to what categories of document he gives (A) full access, (B) restricted access and (C) no access to the (1) Scottish Parliament, (2)National Assembly for Wales, (3) Northern Ireland Assembly and (4) House of Commons select committees.

Charles Clarke: Requests for the attendance of Ministers or officials to give evidence to the devolved legislatures and for the provision of information to the assemblies, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. This consideration will reflect: the principles set out in the Cabinet Office guidance Departmental Evidence and Responses to Select Committees (July 2005); the policy outlined in the Department for Constitutional Affairs Devolution guidance note No. 12 Attendance of UK Ministers and Officials at Committees of the devolved legislatures; and the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act. The principles underlying the provision of information to House of Commons Select Committees are set out in the Departmental Evidence and Response to Select Committees, particularly section 4B and 4C.

Departmental Publications

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many publications were issued by his Department in each of the last five years.

Charles Clarke: The number of publications issued each year by the Home Office Communication Directorate and the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, which is now part of the Communications and Development Unit, since 2001 are listed as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year (1 April to 31 March) Total number of publications issued by CD and RDS 
		
		
			 200102 (12)417 
			 200203 584 
			 200304 656 
			 200405 (13)841 
			 2004-To date (30 November 2005) 404 
		
	
	(12)No figure available from RDS for this year.
	(13)The number increases during 200405 mainly as a result of a new working structure introduced in November 2004. At this time, to improve efficiency, the Home Office set up a new system of working with the Central Office of Information.
	Notes:
	Figures are provided for the period from 1 April 2001. All figures include Command Papers produced through Parliamentary Section.
	This new system was publicised around the Home Office and many areas that had previously made their own arrangements for publications started to use the COI. This led to an increase in the number of recorded publications. Before this time, it would only be possible to identify all Home Office publications at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the Director of Performance and Finance is in his Department; what specialist finance qualifications he or she holds; and what the details are of his or her career to date.

Charles Clarke: The position of director of performance and finance in the Home Office is currently filled on a temporary basis, pending appointment of a permanent successor to the previous director, who left in October. This post reports to the director-general, financial and commercial, Helen Kilpatrick, who is CCAB qualified and has more than 20 years experience of financial management.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in his Department have been relocated into London and the South East in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Charles Clarke: There is no policy of inward relocation into London and the South East, and insofar as centralised records can be checked, no such relocation has in fact taken place over the past five years. Of the moves involving 10 or more staff, for HO Core and Immigration and Nationality Staff from 1 January 2000 to 2004 the majority are moves within the same city or area.
	Aside from the move to the new headquarters building at Marsham Street which involved staff already in the London area there have been no major moves in 2005 within the core Home Office. Figures for relocations are not available for HMPS or the United Kingdom Passport Service.

Departmental Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed by non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he has responsibility in 200405 in (a) total and (b) each (i) nation and (ii) region of the UK and (c) London.

Charles Clarke: The latest available centrally-held information is: Total Executive NDPB staff numbers by Department as at 31 March 2005 are recorded in Table two of Public Bodies 2005, a copy of which is in the House Libraries, and which is available online at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/the_future_ of_the_civil_service/agencies_and_public_bodies/publications/pdf/public-bodies/publicbodies2005.pdf. The number of staff in individual executive agencies as at 1 April 2004, including a regional analysis, is available in Civil Service Statistics 2004 which was published in February 2005, a copy of which is in House Libraries. It is also available online at:http:// www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_of_the_civil_ service/statistics/contents_for_civil_service_statistics_ 2004_report/number_of_civil_servants/index.asp. However the NDPB data is not detailed by region and this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Underspending

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's underspend was in 200405 (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of departmental budget.

Charles Clarke: The following table provides the information requested. Please note that (a) provisional outturn has been used as final accounts have not been completed and (b) near cash excludes non cash costs but makes no adjustment for timing differences.
	
		200405 DEL -- 000
		
			  Resource Capital 
		
		
			 Budget as per spring supplementary 200405 12,366,249 1,195,779 
			 Provisional outturn as published in Cm6639 Public expenditure 200405 Provisional Outturn 12,029,460 991,944 
			 Underspend 336,789 203,835 
			 Of which: Near cash 361,313 203,835 
			 Underspend as percentage of budget 2.72% 17.05%

Driving (Drugs)

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in England and Wales have been convicted of driving under the influence of drugs in 2005.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 5 December 2005
	Court statistics for 2005 will be available autumn 2006.

Environmental Sustainability

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he has identified as the most significant sustainable development impacts in relation to the operation of his Department's estate pursuant to the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

Charles Clarke: The Department's sustainable development impacts vary according to the nature of the business carried out by its constituent areas. The key impacts in relation to the main Home Office and its agencies have been identified as follows: energy consumption; water consumption; waste generation; vehicle emissions as a result of commuting (sites outside London only); procurement of goods and services; employment of staff; estates management and construction. Additionally, biodiversity is an impact for the National Offender Management Service estate and Immigration Removal Centres.

Iran

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the inclusion of the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran in the list of proscribed organisations under the Terrorism Acts; whether this list will be reviewed regularly; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: We review continually organisations for proscription and deproscription. We do not however comment upon which groups are being considered.

Khat Use (Somali Community)

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government will publish its report on khat use within the Somali community.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 5 December 2005
	The Government published its report on khat use in the Somali community on 24 November 2005. It is available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/notes/november_summaries.html. A summary of the Findings of the research is available at the same site in Somali translation.

Maladministration

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many payments for maladministration have been made by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies, (c) its non-departmental public bodies and (d) other bodies for which his Department has responsibility in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: It is the policy of the Home Department, its agencies, non-departmental public bodies and, where appropriate, its sponsored organisations to make financial redress in accordance with the guidance set out in Chapter 18.7 and Annexes 18.1 and 18.2 of Government Accounting. However, the information you requested is not held centrally by the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

National Minimum Wage

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees in his Department were affected by the rise in the national minimum wage on 1 October.

Charles Clarke: None.
	The minimum rates for the Department already exceeded the new national minimum wage on 1 October.

Organised Crime

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from police forces in the United Kingdom requesting that the European Union develops an EU-level strategy for tackling organised crime.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 5 December 2005
	We have not received any representations from UK police forces requesting that the European Union develop an EU wide strategy for tackling organised crime.

Organised Crime

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what (a) legal and (b) constitutional basis the European Commission is entitled to develop and implement a strategy on tackling organised crime at a European Union level.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 5 December 2005
	The European Council of 4/5 November 2004 invited the Commission (and the Council) to contribute to developing a strategy on tackling organised crime at the EU level under the auspices of the Hague programme. This programme includes subject areas such as immigration policy which fall within Title IV of the treaty establishing the European Community and police and judicial co-operation which fall within Title VI of the treaty of European Union. The Council therefore has an interest in working together with the Commission to develop this strategy.

Organised Crime

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the European Commission's document Developing a Strategic Concept on Tackling Organised Crime would involve the formulation of criminal offences at an EU level.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 6 December 2005
	As my Explanatory Memorandum of 25 July sets out, the document is a Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament. While implementing some elements of the Commission's strategic concept will require negotiation, scrutiny and potentially legislation, for example the Framework Decision on Fight Against Organised Crime, the Communication itself does not.

Sexually Explicit Print Media

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the availability to children of newspapers and magazines in retail stores that contain sexually explicit material.

Paul Goggins: I am aware that there is concern about the placement of certain magazines and newspapers that contain sexually explicit material in retail stores and their possible availability to children.
	A combination of legislative and self-regulatory measures exist to protect the public: the Obscene Publications Act 1959 and the Indecent Displays (Control) Act 1981 are designed to protect children and others from exposure to inappropriate material. In addition, a voluntary code of practice, issued by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) encourages retailers to display pornographic magazines on the top shelf and not to sell them to people under 18.
	However, I have asked my officials to raise this matter with colleagues from other Departments, the NFRN and others to ensure that the interests of children are properly safeguarded in this respect.

Sick Leave

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's employees who are within one year of the official retirement age are on extended sick leave.

Charles Clarke: Staff who are 59 and above on extended sick leave are detailed in the table.
	
		
			  Staff on extended sick leave 
		
		
			 Home Office 22 
			 Prison Service 82 
			 FSS 0 
			 UKPS 4 
		
	
	Note:
	1.Adelphi sickness figures commencing 1 January to 8 December 2005.
	2.For HMPS and HO greater then or equal to two calendar months.
	3.For UKPS greater then or equal to 26 days.
	4.FSS ceased to be HO Agency on 5 December 2005. Its included because status change postdates question. No staff in category reported.

Social Enterprises (Milton Keynes)

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much Government funding social enterprises in Milton Keynes have received in the last three financial years.

Alun Michael: I have been asked to reply.
	An estimate of Government funding to social enterprises delivered via the South East of England Development Agency over the last three years in Milton Keynes is 112,000. On a broader level, such is the diverse nature of social enterprises that significantly more funds have been made available. A further 40,000 has been put into the Wolverton social enterprise project and Growth Areas Funding has been made available to social enterprises in Milton Keynes; for example 375,000 for refurbishment of Acorn House part of the Milton Keynes Community Foundation and 300,000 towards the Milton Keynes Economic and Learning Partnership's Vision Building. Milton Keynes will receive a professionally trained adviser for social enterprises supplied via money from the Home Office. Other funding streams going into Milton Keynes may also be considered to benefit social enterprises either directly or indirectly.

Speed Cameras

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are plans to introduce a test for slip effect in respect of mobile speed guns.

Paul Goggins: There are no plans to introduce such a test. To ensure accuracy, all equipment already undergoes very rigorous laboratory and field testing prior to the grant of type approval. The code of practice for the Operational Use of Road Policing Enforcement Technology issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers includes guidance on the avoidance of any potential problems arising from slippage.

Speed Cameras

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 29 November 2005, Official Report, column 328W, on speed cameras, how many (a) convictions and (b) fixed penalty notices there were for speeding offences in each year from 1994 to 2004.

Paul Goggins: Available information on court convictions and fixed penalty notices issued for the offence of speeding detected by camera from 1997 to 2003 (latest available) is given in the table. 2004 data will not be available until March 2006.
	
		Convictions and fixed penalty data for speeding offences detected by cameras(14), England and Wales, 1997 to 2003 -- Number
		
			  Type of action 
			  Court proceedings (Findings of guilt(15)) Fixed penalty (Number of tickets(16)) 
		
		
			 1997 20,800 288,600 
			 1998 25,700 338,800 
			 1999 32,600 423,000 
			 2000 32,000 599,200(17) 
			 2001 40,800 877,500 
			 2002 46,700 1,135,400 
			 2003 61,900 1,657,000 
		
	
	(14)Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and The Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973.
	(15)Includes cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court.
	(16)Only covers tickets paid where there is no further action.
	(17)Following publication of 2000 data, Northamptonshire police force revised their 2000 figures for the number of fixed penalty notices issued for speeding offences from 70,300 to 34,800 (a decrease of 35,500). In consequence, national data has been revised.

Victims of Rape

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance on dealing with victims of rape has been given to police forces in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Guidance on investigating serious sexual offences was produced in 2005 on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) by the National Centre for policing excellence. National police training on serious sexual offences is now being developed, based around the guidance. Furthermore national service guidelines for developing sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) were produced in October 2005, jointly developed by Department of Health and the Home Office.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliamentary Process (Initiatives)

Mark Harper: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will make a statement on the findings of user research commissioned by the Commission to inform future initiatives on involving citizens in the political process and informing them of the work of Parliament.

Nick Harvey: In December 2004 the House of Commons Commission asked the Group on Information for the Public to commission research into users' experiences of the parliamentary website. The findings of the qualitative research identified scope for improvement in several respects, and have closely informed the proposals for a radical redesign of the site.
	In March 2005 the House of Commons Commission confirmed that it wished to fund the production and distribution of a guide on voting to be sent to all new voters on or around their eighteenth birthday. Officials commissioned qualitative research to inform the selection of material to appear in the guide. Research will be undertaken to ensure the effectiveness of the draft guide before its production and further research will be undertaken once the guide has been issued to assess its impact.
	Further user research is currently under way to measure the potential interest in a new visitor centre, and to identify the expectations and requirements of those who might visit. The Parliamentary Education Unit has also recently commissioned research into users' experiences of its work.
	The House partly funds some projects run by the Hansard Society. The Connecting Communities project completed in early 2005 aimed to build stronger links between Parliament and members of the public through a series of structured visits to Parliament supported by an educational pack. The findings of this project informed the planning of a number of House services, and were reflected in the Modernisation Committee's report on Connecting Parliament with the Public. The project also led to a booklet entitled Your Parliament, a valuable addition to the House's publicly-available information sources. A second project, Enhancing Engagement, built on this programme and developed practical proposals to bring Parliament closer to the public, especially those least engaged in the political process. Further research by the Hansard Society to inform future developments has recently been commissioned.

Public Gallery

Andrew Stunell: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what measures will be taken to remedy the loss of visibility from the Public Gallery of the southern portion of the Chamber as a result of the erection of the permanent screen; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: In July 2004 the House of Commons Commission agreed that a permanent screen should be installed in front of the front row of the Public Gallery. In the course of subsequent detailed planning for erection of the screen, it became clear that it would have to be located some 40 centimetres in front of the line of the existing gallery front panel so that it would be aligned with the stone window mullion and wall panelling on the side walls as well as being aligned with the ceiling decorative ribbing. This resulted in the need to install a horizontal timber shelf to connect the new glass screen to the front panel, thus reducing the proportion of Members' seats which are visible from the Public Gallery.
	Following representations from the hon. Member, a wide-angle shot of the Chamber from the southern end will be shown on one of the three monitors already provided on each side of the Public Gallery. As a result, those in the Public Gallery will for the first time have a view of that portion of the Chamber hitherto outside their line of sight.

Serjeant at Arms' Residence

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission which company is used to clean the Serjeant at Arms' residence; and how many people are employed for this purpose.

Nick Harvey: Apart from the exterior of the windows, which are cleaned by MITIE as part of the cleaning contract for the Parliament Street block, the Serjeant at Arms makes his own arrangements for cleaning.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Anti-retroviral Drugs

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the role of charities in the distribution of anti-retroviral drugs in developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: The role of charities in anti-retroviral treatment (ART) provision reflects the strength of charities in health services more generally, including as a health provider and in improving demand. DFID has funded two reviews recently, suggesting that charities and other civil society organisations make up a large proportion of the service provision in health in many countries. They are also often the provider of choice of the poor even if they have to pay. Charities have a particular role in fragile states or states emerging from conflict. Many charities working in the field of HIV and AIDS are able to reach marginalised groups that Governments do not, such as intravenous drug users. They have also shown ability in reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with AIDS.
	DFID recognises that increased delivery of health services and drugs, including anti-retroviral treatment, needs to be matched by investments in poor and vulnerable people's ability to demand services and hold service providers to account. Charities and other civil society organisations have a role in promoting an open debate about treatment and care, and in increasing the accountability of Governments. DFID also recognise that these organisations have an important role to play in advocacy and in giving communities a greater voice in ensuring the delivery of quality services. They are also critical for communicating information about services to communities, which increase people's access, ensure people understand the requirements of treatment (treatment literacy) and the importance of adhering to drug regimes.
	While recognising the primary role of Government in ensuring that health services are provided to people, DFID is exploring ways to better support charities and other civil society groups. In 2000, we supported the Christian Health Association of Nigeria (CHAN), an organisation focused on co-ordinating the network of Christian voluntary health services in the country, and giving people access to health care that was previously unobtainable. DFID supported CHAN to improve CHAN's organisational effectiveness, resulting in the establishment of CHAN Pharm to procure and distribute drugs including anti-retroviral treatment (ART).
	In Malawi, where DFID is a major funder of the health sector, the Ministry of Health is developing contracts with mission hospitals and other charities to provide essential health services free at point of delivery. This will include the provision of HIV counselling and testing and the provision of anti-retroviral therapy. Already, the Government uses the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) facilities to provide ART free of charge.

Chronic Back Pain

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken in his Department to help civil servants with chronic back pain.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has an ongoing assessment process in place to identify the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and provides information, instruction and training to staff on workstation ergonomics and manual handling.
	DFID offers staff a range of equipment including appropriate ergonomic seating, ergonomic keyboards and adjustable work stations and we work with our occupational health team to educate employees on good workstation ergonomics. The Department also provides on-site fitness and wellbeing centres and subsidised health club membership.

HIV/AIDS

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what work his Department has undertaken to increase the capacity of countries with an antenatal prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS of one per cent. or more to take full advantage of the flexibilities in the trade related aspects of intellectual property agreement; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what work the informal advisory group on access to medicine has undertaken to increase the capacity of countries with an antenatal prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS of one per cent. or more to take full advantage of the flexibilities in the trade related aspects of intellectual property agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's work on trade related intellectual property rights (TRIPS) to ensure increased access for countries with high prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS, is one pillar of a broader UK strategy to increase access to essential medicines to developing countries that includes direct assistance to developing countries; work with the private sector; and support of research and development efforts. DFID works with the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI), the Patent Office and other Departments, as appropriate, through the Cross Whitehall Working Group on access to medicines.
	Developing countries and non-governmental organisations have expressed concerns that the World Trade Organisation TRIPS agreement, which provides wider international patent protection, would affect negatively the capacity of developing countries to procure cheap generic medicines.
	DFID and other Whitehall departments have been working closely with the EU and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) member states to ensure that developing countries are given the necessary flexibilities in the WTO TRIPS agreement to safeguard their pressing public health needs. This has now been achieved with the recent agreement in the WTO to amend TRIPS to allow countries without manufacturing capacity to issue compulsory licenses to import generic copies of patented medicines, and the decision by the European Union to implement legislation transposing this agreement into European law.
	We have been funding several programmes in developing countries, specifically around, or incorporating activities, related to TRIPS flexibilities. This is one of the main aims of the UK Government's global strategy to improve access to essential medicines, as outlined in the 2004 paper: Increasing Access to Essential Medicines in the Developing World: Government Policy and Plan.
	We have been providing support to the World Health Organisation's Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH), with the secondment of an official to lead the secretariat of the Commission (three-year project: 240,000). The CIPIH has been appointed to produce an analysis of intellectual property rights, innovation, and public health, including analysis of TRIPS flexibilities. It will report in the first half of 2006.
	We have been funding legal research and assistance on how to implement the flexibilities, with for instance the publication of the UNCTAD-International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development's resource book on TRIPS and development (part of a three-year 1.2 million project), this year.
	DFID also supports country-focused work on the issue. In Ghana, we support an access to medicines initiative (ATMI) through the Ghana National drugs programme that includes work on TRIPS flexibilities. DFID commissioned a series of studies that looked at access to medicines in under-served markets, including country case studies in Kenya and Malawi. A study on China and India investigates the effects of changing intellectual property legislation on the pharmaceutical industry in these countries, and in a recent update, the consequences of the alignment with TRIPS obligations in 2005.

HIV/AIDS

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what role his Department plays in the UN AIDS programme.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is a strong supporter of the UN's HIV and AIDS programme working with the Joint United Nations Programme for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The UNAIDS' mandate is
	to be the advocate for global action on the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
	UNAIDS is a co-sponsored programme comprising a Secretariat, the World Bank, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), theUnited Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
	The UK, led by DFID, is an active constituent member, with San Marino, Italy and Ireland, of the UNAIDS' Programme Co-ordinating Board (PCB). We currently occupy the board seat for our constituency, and have played a key role in important decisions taken at the PCB, including the adoption in June 2005 of the new policy paper Intensifying HIV Prevention. DFID also has institutional partnerships, which includes core funding with all co-sponsors including the UNAIDS Secretariat, (except the UNODC).
	Core funding to the UNAIDS Secretariat in this financial year is 16 million, to support the unified work plan involving all co-sponsors.

Media Monitoring

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on media monitoring activities in each of the last eight financial years.

Gareth Thomas: Information on DFID's expenditure on media monitoring services is only available for the last two financial years.
	The figures are as follows:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 200304 125,800 
			 200405 109,650 
			 200506 (to November 2005) 99,810 
		
	
	These figures are for press cuttings services for the entire department and annual subscriptions to the media monitoring unit.

South Asia Earthquake

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how his Department ensures that UK aid allocated to Kashmir after the recent earthquake is applied to the (a) people and (b) purposes intended.

Gareth Thomas: UK assistance for the Pakistan earthquake is divided between immediate humanitarian assistance and long-term reconstruction. My Department has pledged 58 million for humanitarian assistance and works with appropriate UN agencies, the Red Cross and a number of trusted non-governmental organisations to deliver much needed supplies and services quickly and efficiently to those most in need.
	DFID has deployed humanitarian advisors to Pakistan to monitor our support and ensure it is used effectively. This supplements our standard accounting procedures that require all of DFID's partners to account for and report fully on programmes using DFID funds.
	My department has pledged a further 70 million for long-term relief and reconstruction. The detail as to how this money will be spent is being worked on with the Government of Pakistan to ensure proper accountability, transparency and value for money.

Sugar Regime

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what bilateral assistance the Government will provide to those Caribbean nations most affected by the impact of the EU's proposed reforms of the sugar regime.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's 10.3 million annual bilateral programme to the Caribbean finances programmes in Guyana (4.5 million a year) and Jamaica (2.5 million a year), two of the most affected countries in the Caribbean, and support for regional objectives and institutions (3.3 million a year), that benefits all six affected Caribbean Sugar Protocol countries.
	Funding from the regional programme is being made available to assist all these countries prepare their sugar action plans to set out how they adjust to the fall in European sugar price. These plans will enable them to benefit from the European Commission's (EC) forthcoming Transitional Assistance and attract possible investors from the private sector.
	In addition, Jamaica, Guyana and Belize benefit from UK financed debt relief. Under the UK bilateral Commonwealth Debt Initiative, Belize received 1.45 million and Jamaica 6.24 million in 2005. For Guyana, the UK will pay approximately $450,000 as its share (10 per cent.) of Guyana's debt service on loans from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) until all of its $260 million of IDA and International Monetary Fund debts are cancelled in 2006 under the recently agreed G8 proposal.
	The UK provides approximately 8 million a year to the four most affected countries (Belize, Guyana, Jamaica and St Kitts) through its contributions to multilateral agencies such as the EC.

Tsunami

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what collaboration there has been between the Government and the Commonwealth in support of countries affected by the tsunami.

Gareth Thomas: The Commonwealth Secretariat has, on behalf of Commonwealth countries, sent a relief co-ordinator and specialist doctors to the Maldives, co-ordinating directly with the affected Governments.
	The Commonwealth countries of Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives, which were affected by the tsunami, have received UK Government assistance.
	DFID seeks to co-ordinate its activities with all donors, including Commonwealth countries, as the best way to ensure that there is no overlap and activities meet identified needs.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

MPs (Outside Appointments)

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Leader of the House if he will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by his Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment.

Geoff Hoon: None. The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is not responsible for making appointments to any public bodies.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Arms Movement Certificates

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which body is responsible for the issuing of arms movement certificates; how many have been issued; and what criteria are applied in deciding whether such a certificate should be issued.

Shaun Woodward: The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) issue arms movement certificates, as described in the decommissioning scheme within the meaning of section 1 of the Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act of 1997, in connection with the decommissioning process.
	Until such time as the IICD are satisfied that their mandate has been fulfilled and, as their report of 26 September 2005 stated, the arms of loyalist paramilitary groups, as well as other paramilitary organisations, remain to be addressed, it would not be appropriate for them to release the numbers of arms movement certificates or any date involved during the decommissioning process. It would not therefore be appropriate to comment at this time.

Belfast Hospitals (Security)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the security firms employed at each hospital in Belfast.

Shaun Woodward: Each hospital in Belfast delivers security by means of in-house staff employed on Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS) contracts. Hospitals, which employ external security firms to undertake specific functions, are listed as follows:
	Greenpark Hospital Trust engages G4S Cash Services (UK) Ltd (previously Securicor) for cash movement.
	Ulster Community Hospital Trust engages J.M. Securities for wheel clamping.

Business Rates

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2005, Official Report, column 372W on business rates, what consultation his Department carried out with (a) businesses in Northern Ireland and (b) Invest NI on the impact of the Government's Northern Ireland business rates proposals, prior to their announcement.

Angela Smith: The decision to phase out industrial derating, as part of the review of rating policy, was subject to a full and rigorous public consultation process initiated by the NI Executive in May 2002.
	Four political parties, 13 district councils, three Assembly Committees and a range of business organisations responded to that consultation and most of these commented upon the issue of industrial derating. In addition two of the Assembly Committees, Finance and Personnel Committee and Enterprise, Trade and Investment, which were in favour of removing the exemption, took evidence on the issue and this was duly submitted.
	Further consultations took place in 2003 on the Government's proposals and on the draft legislation, which included a regulatory impact assessment.
	The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment was involved from an early stage. Invest NI was consulted and submitted evidence.

Civil Service

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the Northern Ireland Department of Finance and Personnel applied the public interest test to Derry City council's application under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for release of the Equality Impact Assessment for the Northern Ireland Civil Service e-HR programme.

Angela Smith: In applying the public interest test, the Department decided in conformity with Section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act, not to disclose the EQIA because it intends to publish the EQIA, and expects to do so within the next three months in line with the arrangements set out in the Department's equality scheme. In addition, the draft EQIA remains a working document and to release it now would inhibit the development of the draft and the orderly administration of the process.

Community Relations Council

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council awarded in (a) core funding and (b) project funding to (i) the Irish School of Ecumenics, (ii) the Northern Ireland Inter Faith Forum, (iii) Roman Catholic groups and (iv) mainstream evangelical organisations in each of the last 15 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested for 199091 to 199798 is not available.
	
		
		
			  Irish school of ecumenics NI interfaith forum Catholic groups Evangelical organisations 
			  (a) (b) (a) (b) (a) (b) (a) (b) 
		
		
			 200506 45,000 nil nil nil nil nil 44,000 54,843 
			 200405 45,000 6,850 nil nil nil nil 44,000 28,721 
			 200304 45,000 nil nil 3,450 nil 20,385 50,750 33,665 
			 200203 45,000 2,201 nil 123,590 nil nil 43,2 11 95,9860 
			 200102 45,000 3,790 nil nil nil nil 37,632 12,475 
			 200001 nil 3,800 nil nil nil nil 37,627 36,275 
			 19992000 nil 1,700 nil 34,600 nil 2,200 35,244 98,683 
			 199899 nil 69,000 nil 15,000 nil 35,714 35,890 141,216

Community Relations Council

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Community Relations Council has awarded to Evangelical Contribution on Northern Ireland in (a) core funding and (b) project funding in each of the last 15 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested for the years 199091 to 199798 is not available.
	
		
		
			  Core Project 
		
		
			 200506 44,000 11,000 
			 200405 44,000 nil 
			 200304 50,750 6,750 
			 200203 43,211 302,875 
			 200102 37,632 3,575 
			 200001 37,627 17,800 
			 19992000 35,244 36,000 
			 199899 35,890 44,000

Disability

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether a Minister in his Department is planned to be nominated to take responsibility for liaison with the Office for Disability Issues; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: There are no plans to nominate a Minister in Northern Ireland to liaise with the Office for Disability Issues. Officials in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister will liaise with ODI officials as appropriate. Ministers in Northern Ireland will be involved as necessary taking into account the work of the Interdepartmental Group on Promoting Social Inclusion for Disabled People in Northern Ireland.

Disability

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the initial activity undertaken by his Department in response to those recommendations in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People where lead responsibility was assigned to all Government Departments.

Angela Smith: The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People only applies to Government Departments in England, and to Wales and Scotland where the recommendation relates to reserved rather than devolved matters. However, in reporting progress against priorities, it will include progress in Northern Ireland in line with the objectives set in the Improving the Life Chances report.
	While Improving the Life Chances is a GB strategy, work is being progressed in Northern Ireland by the Promoting Social Inclusion Inderdepartmental Working Group on Disability. In November 2004, the then Minister with responsibility for disability issues in Northern Ireland, established the Group. It is chaired by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) and is made up of representatives from voluntary, community and statutory organisations alongside trade unions, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and all Northern Ireland Departments. The Minister asked the Group to produce recommendations on what Government can do to promote greater inclusion of people with disabilities in the economic and social life of Northern Ireland and is due to report during 2006.
	This work in Northern Ireland will take account of Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People. OFMDFM officials are liaising with officials in the recently formed Office for Disability Issues to ensure co-ordination of actions.

Free School Meals

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children (a) are entitled to and (b) receive free school meals in each education board in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: At October 2004, the number of schoolchildren entitled to, and in receipt of, free school meals in each Education and Library Board area was as follows:
	
		Number
		
			  Children entitled to free school meals Children in receipt of free school meals 
		
		
			 Belfast 15,280 12,533 
			 Western 15,219 8,131 
			 North Eastern 10,055 6,640 
			 South Eastern 8,823 11,639 
			 Southern 13,767 13,786 
			 Northern Ireland total63,144 52,729 
		
	
	Note:
	1.Figures relate to year one to year seven pupils in primary schools and pupils at post-primary schools. Figures for pupils at special schools entitled to free school meals are not collected.
	The Department continues, through the Education and Library Boards, to take steps to encourage eligible pupils to take up their entitlement.

Pensioner Households

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his latest estimate is of the number of pensioner households in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: There were 188,058 pensioner households based on the latest estimate in the 2001 census.

Playing Fields

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many schools in Northern Ireland have sold playing fields in each of the last 15years, broken down by constituency.

Angela Smith: Only two playing fields have been sold in the last 15 years, both belonged to the Belfast Education and Library Board:
	1991Laburnum Playing Fields-East Belfast constituency and;
	1995The site of a former post-primary school, Forthbridge High School-North Belfast constituency.

Power Cuts

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many power cuts resulting from adverse weather conditions there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The number of power failures on Northern Ireland Electricity's network resulting from adverse weather conditions in each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of power failures 
		
		
			 1995 976 
			 1996 485 
			 1997 771 
			 1998 4,671 
			 1999 933 
			 2000 874 
			 2001 1,590 
			 2002 1,180 
			 2003 1,087 
			 2004 853

Restorative Justice Schemes

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why he did not consult the Northern Ireland Policing Board on the draft guidelines on community-based restorative justice schemes.

David Hanson: The draft guidelines for community-based restorative justice schemes have been formulated by a working group comprising criminal justice agencies including the PSNI. I have now made the draft guidelines for community-based restorative justice schemes available publicly, and welcome the representations of the Policing Board as key stakeholders.

Roads Maintenance

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by the Department for Regional Development Roads Service on roads maintenance in (a) Limavady and (b) Coleraine borough council area in the 200405 financial year.

Shaun Woodward: The chief executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 15 December 2005
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding how much was spent by the Department for Regional Development Roads Service on roads maintenance in (a) Limavady and (b) Coleraine Borough Council areas in the 200405 financial year. I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
	I can confirm that the roads maintenance expenditure in the Limavady Borough Council area during the 200405 financial year amounted to 3,156,000. In the Coleraine Borough Council area, the roads maintenance expenditure amounted to 3,960,000 for the same period.
	I hope this information is useful.

Sales (Under-age Children)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of selling tobacco to underage children in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The enforcement of the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 is the responsibility of district councils. Statistical information on prosecutions by district councils and other third parties is not held centrally. Information should however become available with the rollout of the next phase of the Causeway case management system, anticipated in early 2007.

Schools (Abuse Claims)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints of (a) physical abuse and (b) sexual abuse against (i) teachers and (ii)priests were received by schools in the maintained sector in each year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The Department of Education does not collect this information from schools. However schools are required to keep a Record of Child Abuse Complaints and this must be made available to the Education and Training Inspectorate during an inspection.
	Where a complaint is made about a member of staff and is pursued either as a formal referral to the investigating agencies or under the school's disciplinary procedures, a short summary must be entered by the Principal on a Record of Child Abuse Complaints. The summary must include:
	The date and brief details of the nature of the complaints;
	By whom and against whom the complaint is made;
	If the complaint was formally referred, to whom it was referred and the date of referral; and
	If the complaint was dealt with under the school's disciplinary procedure.
	The school's Record of Child Abuse Complaints must be made available to the Board of Governors at least annually.

Secondary Teachers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many secondary school teachers in Northern Ireland (a) teach the subject they undertook a degree in and (b) teach a subject different from their degree qualification, broken down by subject.

Angela Smith: As the Department of Education is not the employer of teachers, the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, following the establishment of the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland information can be collated by the Council which will include teacher qualifications and posts held. It is expected that a detailed analysis of every teacher registered with the Council will be available by the end of 2006.

Sex Offenders

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what precautions are in place to ensure that someone who has been convicted of a sex offence in the Irish Republic and travels to Northern Ireland is immediately placed on the Sex Offenders' Register in (a) the Province and (b) Great Britain.

David Hanson: The Sexual Offences Act 2004 provides the police with a power to apply for an order from the court which makes a convicted sex offender from another jurisdiction who travels to the United Kingdom subject to the notification requirements of the Act. This means that while convicted sex offenders are not automatically added to the sex offender register (as it is commonly referred to), they cannot escape the notification requirements of the Act should they come to reside in Northern Ireland or Great Britain.
	As part of the work programme for the intergovernmental agreement on criminal justice cooperation agreed with the Republic of Ireland in the summer, a registered sex offenders' advisory group is being established to look at information exchange on sex offenders in both jurisdictions. This will further strengthen the exchange of information between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Siochana.

Sexual Assaults

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many sexual assaults have been reported to the police in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years; and how many people have been prosecuted.

David Hanson: I am committed to supporting victims of sexual assaults in ways which help cases to be brought to court and prosecutions of offenders secured. This includes special measures in the courts to facilitate the way in which victims and witnesses who might otherwise feel intimidated give evidence.
	Table 1 provides the number of offences of rape, attempted rape and other sexual assaults recorded by the police. Data is provided for 199899 onwards. The reason for this is that the Home Office introduced revised counting rules for recording crime in April 1998 and figures produced since then belong to a different statistical series and are not comparable with those produced prior to April 1998.
	The number of prosecutions for these offences are provided in Table 2 and cover the calendar years 1994 to 2003. Data beyond 2003 will become available in early 2006.
	It should be noted that statistics in Table 1 are offence based whilst figures in Table 2 are based on the number of persons prosecuted.
	
		Table 1: Offences of rape, attempted rape and other sexual assaults recorded by the police
		
			 Financial year Rape Attempted rape Indecent assault 
		
		
			 199899 284 40 878 
			 19992000 279 32 714 
			 200001 209 23 663 
			 200102 252 40 677 
			 200203 317 40 633 
			 200304 354 41 834 
			 200405 347 33 746 
		
	
	Source:
	Central Statistics Unit, PSNI
	
		Table 2: Prosecutions for rape, attempted rapeand other sexual assaults
		
			  Rape Attempted rape(18) Other sexual assaults(19) Total 
		
		
			 1994 39 6 148 193 
			 1995 65 13 163 241 
			 1996 59 10 194 263 
			 1997 54 7 153 214 
			 1998 45 3 113 161 
			 1999 30 6 86 122 
			 2000 20 6 111 137 
			 2001 28 6 111 145 
			 2002 25 5 90 120 
			 2003 26 5 109 140 
		
	
	(18)Includes aiding and abetting rape and assault with intent to rape.
	(19)Includes indecent assault on female, indecent assault on male, indecent assault on female child and indecent assault on male child.
	Source:
	Statistics and Research Branch, Northern Ireland Office

Shared Future

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the first triennial action plan for Shared Future will be published; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Triennial Action Plan will be published before March 2006. This will give further impetus to A Shared Future, the policy and strategic framework for good relations in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein (Assembly Expenses)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff Sinn Fein claim for under Northern Ireland Assembly expenses.

Peter Hain: Taking account of MLA allowances and support provided under the Financial Assistance to Political Parties scheme, in the financial year 200405, Sinn Fein received support for 25 staff.

Sports Council

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the response of 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 750W, on the Sports Council, how many individuals have received funding from the Sports Council in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Under the Recreation and Youth Service (Northern Ireland Order) 1986 the Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI) is statutorily responsible for the development of sport in NI including the distribution of public funding to individual sports.
	Under the talented athlete programme they make funding available to individuals for talent development. The following table provides details of how many individuals have received funding under this programme in each of the last five years:
	
		
			  Individual awards 
		
		
			  55 
			 200001 78 
			 200102 59 
			 200203 30 
			 200304 103 
			 200405(present) 66 
			 Total 391

Terrorism

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of whether there is a Republican Christmas terror threat in London.

Charles Clarke: I have been asked to reply.
	Northern Ireland related terrorism continues to pose a threat and dissident republican groups who have rejected the Good Friday agreement of April 1998 still aspire to mount attacks in Great Britain. The Government will never hesitate to issue a warning if it is the best way to protect any community or venue facing a specific and credible threat. Advice would be issued immediately if the public needed to take specific action. Public safety is our absolute priority.

Tourism

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) joint ventures, (b) discussions and (c) liaison there has been between the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the Scottish Tourist Board in targeting visitors from the United States of America.

Angela Smith: Many informal links exist but the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has no plans to have a formalised structure with VisitScotland. However, officials from the NITB meet on a regular basis throughout the year with a number of other UK tourism officials and this would involve colleagues from VisitScotland.

Tourism

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to promote the annual 12th of July demonstrations as a tourist attraction.

Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) recognises the value of celebrations and festivals as drivers for tourism. Research confirms that events are an effective tool for changing perceptions and attracting visitors.
	NITB featured the 12th of July festivities in its 2005 calendar of events for visitors, and has recently met the Orange Order on a number of occasions to identify what actions are required to enable the festivities to be promoted to tourists.

Tourism

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to promote the River Bann as a tourist attraction.

Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland Tourist Board has supported the local authorities of Ards, Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon, Newry and Mourne, Down and North Down to establish a regional tourism partnership. This public/private sector partnership has produced a tourism strategy and action plan for the region which looks at regional development, marketing and visitor servicing priorities. The plan identifies activity tourism and natural assets as key regional strengths and the partnership includes details of the River Bann in its promotional materials. In addition the NITB website acts as an information point and electronic sign post to relevant information. The River Bann features on www.discovernorthernireland.com on three separate pages in the angling section. Each reference provides angling details for the Upper Bann and relevant contact details.
	The Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure which owns the fishing rights on a stretch of the Upper Bann promotes the Public Angling Estate through its angling guides and angling website at www.dcal-fishingni.gov.uk Provided for the public in general this website targets tourist anglers providing them with travel and accommodation provider links. It enables tourist anglers to plan and arrange a fishing break in Northern Ireland from the comfort of their own home.
	The Department also promotes the Public Angling Estate and angling in general within Northern Ireland by attending major angling game fairs and exhibitions throughout the island of Ireland, England and Europe.

US Visa Applications

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what advice the Northern Ireland Office gave to the US consulate in Belfast in connection with the visa application for Rita O'Hare;
	(2)  how many US visa applications the United States consulate in Belfast has asked him about in each of the last 10 years.

Peter Hain: My Department has not given any advice to the United States consulate in respect of a visa application for Rita O'Hare. Decisions on applications for visas are solely a matter for the US Administration.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Costs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the (a) salary bill was and (b) administrative costs were for his Department in (i)Scotland and (ii) London in 200405.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not separately identify the administration costs arising in Scotland and London. However, the total administration costs of the Scotland Office in 200405 were 4,028,412, of which 2,201,361 related to salary costs.

High-speed Rail Link

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will support the proposals for a high-speed rail link between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

David Cairns: Development of the railway infrastructure in Scotland is the responsibility of Scottish Executive Ministers.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General what guidance he issues to members of the public wishing to make a complaint about the Crown Prosecution Service; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) publishes a complaints leaflet, which sets out how members of the public can make a complaint about the service. The leaflet is published on the CPS website (www.cps.gov.uk) and hard copies are also available on request. I have placed a copy of the leaflet in the House of Commons Library.

Crown Prosecution Service

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General how many staff employed by the Crown Prosecution Service were suspended from duty in (a) Southend, (b) Essex, (c) Hertfordshire and (d) the Metropolitan police area of London, broken down by grade in each of the last 15years for which figures are available; and what the reasons were in each case in which proceedings are complete.

Mike O'Brien: The Crown Prosecution Service has figures of staff suspensions available from June 2000 to date. Prior to this date, details of suspensions were not recorded centrally. The following numbers of staff were suspended from duty during this period.
	
		
			 Number 
		
		
			 (a) Southend  0 
			 (b) Essex Grade 7 equivalent 1 
			 (c) Hertfordshire HEO equivalent 1 
			 (d) Metropolitan Police C2 Prosecutor level 2 
			 area of London Legal Trainee 1 
			  EO equivalent 1 
			  AO equivalents 4 
			  AA equivalents 2 
		
	
	The key issue in all suspension decisions is whether the continued presence of the member of staff concerned would:
	be contrary to the public or departmental interest;
	prejudice any investigation, for example, where there is a possibility of someone destroying evidence;
	have an adverse effect on the work of the office, for example, where harassment of colleagues is alleged and may intensify once an investigation is started.
	In each of the 12 cases, the decision to suspend would have been based on one or more of the above criteria.

Crown Prosecution Service

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General what the procedure is for complaining about the (a) actions and (b) decisions of the Crown Prosecution Service; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) operates a three tiered approach to the management of complaints. This approach is designed to enable complaints to be resolved at a local level wherever possible but it also provides complainants with the option of raising concerns with the Director of Public Prosecutions's Private Office, if they remain dissatisfied with the responses received from their local Chief Crown Prosecutor.
	This procedure is outlined in the CPS complaints leaflet; I have placed a copy of the leaflet in the House of Commons Library and it also available on the CPS website (www.cps.gov.uk).

Crown Prosecution Service

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General what the rates of pay are of (a) lawyers and (b) other staff employed by the Crown Prosecution Service, broken down by grade in (i) Southend, (ii) Essex, (iii) the Metropolitan Police area of London and (iv) England and Wales.

Mike O'Brien: The rates of pay of lawyers is listed, and other staff employed by the Crown Prosecution Service, broken down by grade in (i)Southend, (ii) Essex, (ii) the Metropolitan Police area of London and (iv) England and Wales.
	Question (a) payscales for lawyers in: (i) Southend, (ii) Essex, (iii) the Metropolitan Police area of London are identical and are as follows:
	
		
		
			 Payband Salary range from: 
		
		
			 C1 26,954 to 32,159 
			 C2 31,880 to 53,667 
			 D 45,389 to 59,033 
			 E 56,814 to 65,565 
		
	
	Question (a) payscales lawyers employed (iv) England and Wales are as follows:
	
		England and Wales (National) -- 
		
			 Payband Salary range from: 
		
		
			 C1 25,648 to 30,819 
			 C2 30,318 to 47,685 
			 D 41,970 to 53,601 
			 E 53,332 to 63,104 
		
	
	
		London (also including Bedfordshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, South East) -- 
		
			 Payband Salary range from: 
		
		
			 C1 26,954 to 32,159 
			 C2 31,880 to 53,667 
			 D 45,389 to 59,033 
			 E 56,814 to 65,565 
		
	
	Question (b) Payscales for other staff employed by the Crown prosecution service in: (i) Southend, (ii)Essex, (iii) Metropolitan Police area of London are identical and are as follows:
	
		
		
			 Payband Salary range from: 
		
		
			 A1 12,947 to 15,653 
			 A2 15,904 to 18,727 
			 B1 19,441 to 25,262 
			 B2 25,134 to 29,734 
			 B3 31,190 to 37,434 
			 D 43,328 to 59,033 
			 E 56,814 to 65,565 
		
	
	Question (b) payscales for other staff employed by the Crown prosecution service (iv) England and Wales are as follows:
	
		England and Wales (National) -- 
		
			 Payband Salary range from: 
		
		
			 A1 12,192 to 14,553 
			 A2 14,654 to 17,412 
			 B1 18,425 to 23,822 
			 B2 24,478 to 28,278 
			 B3 29,608 to 35,837 
			 D 40,744 to 53,601 
			 E 53,332 to 63,104 
		
	
	
		London also including (Bedfordshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, South East) -- 
		
			 Payband Salary range from: 
		
		
			 A1 12,947 to 15,653 
			 A2 15,904 to 18,727 
			 B1 19,441 to 25,262 
			 B2 25,134 to 29,734 
			 B3 31,190 to 37,434 
			 D 43,328 to 59,033 
			 E 56,814 to 65,565

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Business Start-ups

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to increase the number of business start-ups in the (a) Hartlepool constituency and (b) Tees Valley sub-region.

Alun Michael: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) aims to create the best possible environment for business success in the UK. Each year the Department invests over 400 million nationally in grants, loans and subsidised consultancy to assist business growth and stimulate business start-ups. The Department is committed to reducing burdens on business, and to this end has recently published a draft plan for cutting red tape in DTI policy areas, the DTI draft simplification plan. The DTI is also involved in establishing the Task Force on Women's Enterprise, which will be launched in spring 2006.
	Specific responsibility for economic development in the North East of England falls to Regional Development Agency ONE NorthEast. The agency administers a number of business support schemes on behalf of the DTI, and is responsible for the extensive business support services available through the regional Business Link network. ONE NorthEast is working with regional partners to create a single regional business support network that is easy to access and easy to use. The agency is also developing and delivering a significant programme aimed at bringing about a lasting cultural change in attitudes towards entrepreneurial activity in the North East of England, including raising aspirations of the region's young people, and under-represented groups.
	Public funding is also being used to establish of business incubator units, business start-up advice and tailored local business support measures.

Business Start-ups

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many business start-ups tookplace in (a) Hartlepool, (b) the Tees Valley sub-region and (c) the North East region in the last 12 months.

Alun Michael: In 2004 (the latest year for which figures are available) there were 120 new VAT registrations in Hartlepool, 910 in Tees Valley and 4290 in North East England. Full statistical information on VAT registrations, broken down to local authority area, is available from the Small Business Service website at www.sbs.gov.uk.

Carbon Sequestration

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his plans to promote the use of carbon sequestration technology.

Malcolm Wicks: The Carbon Abatement Technologies Strategy for Fossil Fuel Use which I announced on 14 June this year sets out the Government's policy and views for the future support for carbon sequestration technologies. Copies of the strategy are available in the House of Commons Library and at:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/coal/cfft/cct/pub/catreportlinked.pdf.
	In addition to the strategy I also announced 25 million for a demonstration of Carbon Abatement Technologies, which could include carbon sequestration. In his pre-budget statement this month, the Chancellor announced a further 10 million for this demonstration scheme, bringing the total for Government funding to 35 million.

Coal Mining

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much (a) deep mined and (b) opencast coal was produced in the UK in (i) the most recent 12 months for which figures are available and (ii)1995; and what forecast he has made of production in 2015.

Malcolm Wicks: Over the 12-month period to September 2005 UK deep mined coal production was 9.6 million tonnes and UK surface mined coal production was 11.3 million tonnes.
	In 1995, UK deep mined coal production was 35.2 million tonnes and UK surface mined coal production was 16.4 million tonnes.
	This Department does not produce regular forecasts for UK coal production. A study commissioned by DTI in 2004 as part of its work on the large combustion plant directive entitled UK Coal Production Outlook: 200416. The report projected that the UK's total coal production could be sustained within a band of 2129 million tonnes in 2010 and 1521 million tonnes in 2016.
	The outturn figures for the 12 months to September 2005 suggest that the lower figures in these projections may be between 2 and 3 million tonnes too high.

Disability

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  whether a Minister in his Department is planned to be nominated to take responsibility for liaison with the office for disability issues; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the initial activity undertaken by his Department in response to those recommendations in the Prime Minister's strategy unit report, improving the life chances of disabled people, where lead responsibility was assigned to all Government Departments.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I am the DTFs representative on the cross-departmental ministerial group charged with taking forward the recommendations of the strategy unit report improving the life chances of disabled people, and accordingly have responsibility for liaison with the office for disability issues.
	DTI is also represented on the cross-departmental senior officials' group, which contributes to the work on establishment of the office for disability issues and oversees the other workstreams that are taking forward the improving life chances agenda.
	The DTI supports the recommendations in the strategy unit report and the aims of the office for disability issues; and contributes to implementing recommendations within its area of responsibility. The establishment of the office for disability issues is an important step towards achieving equality for disabled people and its work will complement that taken forward by proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights, for which DTI has the lead.

Energy

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the UK's priorities were for the EU-OPEC ministerial meeting of 2 December.

Malcolm Wicks: At the EU-OPEC energy dialogue meeting on 2 December the UK was acting in its capacity as president of the EU Council of Ministers.
	The EU sees this dialogue as part of a broader approach to developing the EU's relationship with major energy suppliers. This approach was one of the conclusions reached at the informal EU Heads of State meeting at Hampton Court on 27 of October that looked at the challenges of globalisation.
	The overall aim of the dialogue is to promote oil market stability and improve mutual understanding. At the 2 December meeting we agreed that the dialogue would be taken forward in a number of specific areas. There will be:
	A joint study on the refining sector in EU and OPEC countries;
	Joint research and a workshop on the impact of financial markets;
	An experts meeting on energy technologies with a focus on carbon capture and storage, and possible the establishment of an EU-OPEC technology centre;
	An experts meeting on the impact of energy policies on both demand and supply.
	The next EU-OPEC ministerial meeting will be held in June in Brussels.

Energy

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the latest estimates are for the percentage of electricity used in the UK produced from (a) coal, (b) nuclear power, (c) gas and (d) each other source; and what forecasts he has made for the percentages in (i) 10 and (ii) 20 years' time.

Malcolm Wicks: The available information on electricity supplied in the UK is shown in the following table. It is based on information published in the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2005 and energy projections published in November 2004.
	
		Percentage
		
			  2004 2010 2020 
		
		
			 Gas 40 41 58 
			 Coal 33 25 16 
			 Nuclear 19 18 7 
			 Imports 2 2 2 
			 Oil 1   
			 Hydro 1 1 1 
			 Other Renewables2 10 14 
			 Other Fuels 1  1 
		
	
	Other renewables include biofuels, wind, wave, solar photovoltaics and non-biodegradable wastes. Other fuels include coke oven gas, blast furnace gas and waste products from chemical processes.

Energy

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of resources needed to provide the amount of electricity required in the UK over the next 10 years.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government's assessment of the adequacy of generating capacity and the availability of supplies of electricity and fuels used for electricity generation in the medium term is set out in the Report of the Joint Energy Security of Supply working group, available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/jess/jessreport5.pdf and in the Secretary of State's report to Parliament, available from the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/publications/policy/sec_supply_first_report.pdf
	Both reports draw heavily on National Grid's Seven Year Statement, available from the National Grid website at http://wwwnationalgrid.com/uk/library/documents/sys05/default.asp.

Gas Prices

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the availability of gas supplies (a) in the UK and (b) from abroad; and if he will make a statement on the impact on British industry of the recent increases in prices for gas.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government's assessment of the availability of gas supplies from UK sources is set out in the Secretary of State's report to Parliament which is published on the Department's website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/publications/policy/sec_supply_first_report.pdfsee chapter 4, page 14.
	The Government are committed to working with others to provide an appropriate framework for international trade in gas, and to developing partnerships with gas producing and transit countries. Decisions as to the amount of gas to be imported, from which sources and through which supply routes and import points, are for individual market participants.
	There is a general concern that changes in other governments' national rules are potentially diverting cargoes of liquefied natural gas away from Great Britain, and that gas supplies via the interconnector from continental Europe have not fully responded to recent strong price signals; Ofgem and the Government are pursuing these issues urgently with the European Commission, including through a letter from my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to Commissioner Kroes. The Government's Energy Review, due to report in 2006, will look at the reliability of energy supplies in the medium and long term.
	I, as well as DTI and Ofgem officials, have met representatives of industry on numerous occasions to discuss the impact of gas price rises and ways of mitigating that.

New Businesses

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the rate of new business development per 10,000 population (a) was in 200405 and (b) is in 200506 in (i) England, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii)Stoke-on-Trent.

Alun Michael: According to Barclays Bank's latest survey of business creation, which includes non-VAT registered firms, there were 425,100 business start-ups in England in 2004, representing 105 new businesses per 10,000 resident adults 1 . A further 277,500 businesses started up in England in the first nine months of 2005.
	Barclays data show that there were 36,100 business start-ups in the West Midlands Government Office Region in 2004, representing 85 new businesses per 10,000 resident adults 1 . A further 24,300 businesses started up in the first nine months of 2005. Barclays data show there were 1,100 business start-ups in Stoke-on-Trent unitary authority in 2004, representing 57 new businesses per 10,000 resident adults 1 . A further 700 businesses started up in the first nine months of 2005.
	DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations for England, West Midlands Government Office Region and Stoke-on-Trent unitary authority are shown in the following table for 2004. Data for 2005 will be available in Autumn 2006.
	1 Based on mid-year 2004 population estimates published by the Office for National Statistics.
	
		VAT registrations, number and rate
		
			  VAT registrations 2004 VAT registrations per 10,000 resident adults(20), 2004 
		
		
			 England 158,535 39 
			 West Midlands 14,855 35 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 535 28 
		
	
	(20)Based on mid-year 2004 population estimates published by the Office for National Statistics.
	Source:
	Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 19942004, Small Business Service, available at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vats
	VAT registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.

Nuclear Power

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research has been undertaken by his Department on the cost-effectiveness of nuclear power in reducing carbon dioxide emissions compared with other measures; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The 2003 Energy White Paper published the results of extensive modelling of the costs of different options for reducing carbon dioxide emissions over the period to 2050. The analysis is available at:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/phase2.pdf.
	The Department is also aware of other recent studies providing estimates of the costs of nuclear energy, notably those by the Royal Academy of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago.
	In November 2005 my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that there would be a review of energy policy which would report in summer 2006. This will involve further analysis of the costs of different options, including nuclear energy, for meeting the Government's long-term targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Nuclear Power

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research his Department has commissioned on the cost-effectiveness of nuclear power in reducing carbon dioxide emissions compared with other measures; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The 2003 Energy White Paper published the results of extensive modelling of the costs of different options for reducing carbon dioxide emissions over the period to 2050. The analysis is available at:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/phase2.pdf.
	The Department is also aware of other recent studies providing estimates of the costs of nuclear energy, notably those by the Royal Academy of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago.
	In November 2005 my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that there would be a review of energy policy which would report in summer 2006. This will involve further analysis of the costs of different options, including nuclear energy, for meeting the Government's long-term targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Nuclear Power

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals have been made by the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency for the demolition of nuclear power stations; when he received the proposals; what the anticipated costs were; and when he will make a decision on the proposals.

Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has set out in its draft Strategy proposals for the decommissioning and clean-up of its sites. The draft Strategy sets out the scope, schedule, and cost of work at each site over its lifetimeand includes proposals for its fleet of Magnox power stations. The draft Strategy is available at: www.nda.gov.uk I expect to receive the NDA's proposed Strategy before Christmas. It will go to the Scottish Ministers at the same time. The Scottish Ministers and I will then have until 31 March 2006 to consider and approve the NDA's proposed Strategy.

Nuclear Power

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions have taken place in the Joint Research/Atomic Questions Working Party of the EU in respect of the draft council decision concerning the approval of the accession of the European Atomic Energy Community to a framework agreement for International Collaboration on research and development of generation IV nuclear energy systems (GIF); what decisions have been taken; and what financial commitment has been made by the United Kingdom in support of the GIF.

Malcolm Wicks: In 2005 EURATOM's accession to GIF has been discussed in the Joint Research/Atomic Questions Working party on the following dates:
	25 May 2005under the Luxembourg presidency
	13 June 2005; under the Luxembourg presidency
	26 September2005under the UK presidency
	At the September 2005meeting the presidency stated that as there was a clear qualified majority in favour of EURATOM's accession to the GIF it would be sent as an I point to Coreper and an A point to a future Council (i.e. to be agreed without discussion).
	Council Secretariat has subsequently sent the finalised version of the draft Council Decision to all delegations to give them the opportunity to register any opposition.
	DTI has allocated 10 million, 5 million in 200607 and 5 million in 200708, to support UK involvement in international research on advanced nuclear energy systems. Much of this is expected to fund UK research on Generation IV systems for
	potential international deployment from around 2030; the exact amount will depend on the mix of research proposals that are submitted. The initiative will support UK skills needed to keep open the nuclear energy option and our capability to keep abreast of international developments and inform UK policy development.

Nuclear Power

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions have taken place between the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and the Environment Agency on the licensing of newly-built nuclear power stations.

Malcolm Wicks: HSEfs Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and the Environment Agency maintain a regular dialogue on various matters of mutual interest. Since the 2003 Energy White Paper, Nil and the EA have not engaged in any formal discussions about licensing new nuclear power stations. Recently, Nil and EA have had informal and very preliminary discussions about the regulatory strategy that might be appropriate for the licensing and authorization of new nuclear power stations, in the event of any applications to build new stations. Nil and EA share the view that a coordinated regulatory approach to any potential new nuclear build would be essential.

Post Offices

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many rural post offices have closed in the last 12 months.

Barry Gardiner: I am advised by Post Office Ltd. that total net rural post office closures for the financial year 200405 were 144. Of these closures, 97 were in England, 22 in Scotland, 18 in Wales and 7 in Northern Ireland.

Post Offices

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1555W, on post offices, what the timetable is for submitting formal notification to the European Commission for subsidies to support the rural post office network for the five years after March 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Decisions concerning the future of the rural post office network have yet to be taken. Only when Government have had time to consider (a) the findings of the Post Office Ltd report on their trials of new, innovative and cost-effective ways of delivering post office services to rural communities and (b) ongoing analysis of the needs of stakeholders and the public, will it be possible to take well-informed decisions about the future of the rural network. If required, a state aid notification will be made at that time.

Post Offices

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1555W, on post offices, whether the Government will be publishing the Post Office Ltd.'s report of their pilot programme, trialling new and innovative ways of delivering postal services to rural communities; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The Report is due to be presented to Government by the end of December 2005. Consideration will be given to its findings which will help inform the future options for the network on which a public consultation will be held in the new year. A decision on publication will be taken in due course.

Renewable Energy

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much in energy a producer will receive for 1 Megawatt-hour (MWh) of power under the trading of Renewable Energy Certificates (REC).

Malcolm Wicks: I assume the hon. Member is referring to Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).
	For each megawatt hour of eligible renewable energy generated, Ofgem issues a tradable certificate called a ROC to the accredited generating station. The generator can then sell their ROCs to suppliers with, or without, the electricity. This enables renewable generators to receive a premium price for their electricity. The market determines the price of a ROC.

Renewable Energy

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Renewable Energy Certificate programme is on target to meet the 2010 goals set for it.

Malcolm Wicks: I assume the hon. Member is referring to Renewable Obligation Certificates.
	The Government have a target of 10 per cent. of electricity from Renewable Obligation eligible sources of renewable energy. In 2004, 3.1 per cent. of the UK's electricity supply came from Renewable Obligation eligible sources of renewable energy. This rises to 3.6 per cent. from all sources of renewable energy.
	The Government recognise that the renewables target is ambitious, but we are doing all we can to get as close as we can to it.

Renewable Energy

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to encourage energy providers to take advantage of the Renewable Energy Certificates programme to help provide renewable energy.

Malcolm Wicks: I assume the hon. Member is referring to Renewable Obligation Certificates.
	The Government recently consulted on the review of the Renewables Obligation, which considered a number of limited amendments to improve the effectiveness of the Obligation. The consultation period closed on 9 December, with most changes likely to come into force on 1 April 2006.
	The large majority of respondents considered that the Obligation has provided a positive stimulus for investment in renewable technologies, particularly lower cost technologies, such as onshore wind and landfill gas. Most considered that the Obligation is largely working as anticipated and would deliver a significant expansion in renewable energy generation over the coming years.

Wheel Clamping

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State forTrade and Industry what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the conduct of private wheel clamping firms in England and Wales.

Paul Goggins: I have been asked to reply.
	Since the legal requirement date of 3 May 2005 for vehicle immobiliser (wheel-clampers) operatives to obtain an SIA licence, the Home Office has not commissioned any research on the conduct of private wheel clamping firms in England and Wales.
	In July 2002, the Home Office carried out a limited consultation exercise on the specific issue of the practice of towing away vehicles from private land and charging a release fee. The consultation asked three main questions: the scale of any problems currently posed by the towing away of vehicles; the extent to which the practice might grow as an alternative to wheel-clamping when SIA regulation came into force; and how the problem should be addressed.
	The responses confirmed anecdotal evidence that there were problems arising out of the practice of towing away, giving rise to widespread public complaint. It was predicted that these problems would increase as operators sought to evade the licensing requirements attached to vehicle immobilising. It was recommended that the problem should be dealt with by extending the licensing remit of the SIA to include this form of activity. This was completed earlier this year.

TRANSPORT

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North sent on 2 November 2005 to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and transferred to the Department for Trade and Industry on 11 November and to his Department on 6 December.

Stephen Ladyman: I wrote to the hon. Member on Tuesday 13 December.

Integrated Kent Franchise

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to change services on the Bexhill to London Victoria line following the award of the Integrated Kent Franchise.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 13 December 2005
	I refer the hon. Member to my answer of Tuesday 6 December 2005, Official Report, column 1119W.

Railways

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he plans to make of the performance of Arriva Trains Wales on the Wales and Borders network in advance of the performance review due in 2008.

Derek Twigg: The Arriva Trains Wales Franchise Agreement sets out targets for performance. The agreement includes annual milestones which are monitored to determine whether Arriva Trains Wales will achieve their targets. Both are discussed at monthly and quarterly meetings between the Department and the train operator, and are the subject of correspondence with them throughout the year.

Railways

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2005, Official Report, column 1117W, on Buckshaw Village (railway station), when work will begin on the new railway station at Buckshaw Village; how long the project is estimated to take; and when the station will be ready to be opened.

Derek Twigg: This is a project that is being led by Lancashire county council with Network Rail. The Council has yet to finalise the detailed project plan which would provide dates for key milestones, but they have told the Department that the station is expected to be operational by 2008 providing the funding is in place.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the merits of a carbon and sustainability assurance scheme as part of the renewable transport fuel obligation; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and I meet our ministerial colleagues, to discuss a range of departmental policies, regularly.
	The renewable transport fuel obligation will be designed to encourage the production and use of biofuels with the best carbon savings and from the most sustainable sources.
	This issue was explored at some length in the feasibility study which we published on 10 November. A copy of the study is available in the House Library and on the Department's website at http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/divisionhomepage/610328.hcsp.
	We will be consulting stakeholders shortly on how we might best incorporate carbon and sustainability criteria into the obligation, as well as on other detailed design issues.

Speed Cameras

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions for motor speeding offences caught by speed cameras have been discontinued due to a lack of sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction since 2003.

Paul Goggins: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not collected centrally.

Transport Commissioners

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the Transport Commissioners' ability to carry out their role within their existing regulatory powers; and what plans his Department has to amend these powers.

Stephen Ladyman: We are about to publish a consultation paper on proposals for modernising and streamlining the operator licensing system and I plan to make a statement shortly.

TREASURY

0870 Numbers

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2005, Official Report, column 1902W, on 0870 numbers, what contractual arrangements Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has for the provision of the non-profit making 0870 lines.

John Healey: HMRC has contracts with two companies covering the provision of non-geographic (0870) numbers.
	The former Inland Revenue currently have a contract in place with Cable and Wireless Ltd. for the provision of 0870 numbers.
	In the former HM Customs and Excise, the contract for the provision of 0870 numbers is with Fujitsu Services.

Administrative Savings

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what administrative savings have been made by his Department in each of the last eight years.

John Healey: The Treasury's underspends against its administration costs limits are set out in table 4 of the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper for each of the relevant years, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. (PEOWPs for the years 200102 to 200405 are also available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/ finance_spending_statistics/pes_publications/pespub_index.cfm).
	The Treasury's targets for efficiency gains as part of Spending Review 2004 are set out in the department's efficiency technical note, available at http://www.hm-treasurv.gov.uk/media/F8E/39/F8E390F4-BCDC-D4B31C4802BDA23FF16F.pdf. Progress against those targets was reported in Annex C of the 2005 departmental report http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/99E/44/deptreport2005.pdf and will be updated in the 2005 autumn performance report, due to be published on the Treasury's website later this month.

Average Wage

Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average wage in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Stoke-on-Trent was in the latest year for which figures are available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 15 December 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question what the average wage in (a)England (b) the West Midlands and (c) Stoke on Trent was in the last year for which figures are available. (37740)
	Currently average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for full time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. This is the standard definition used for ASHE. The ASHE does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
	The attached table shows the Average Gross Weekly Earnings for full time employees by local authority by place of work for England, West Midlands and Stoke on Trent for 2005. These statistics are also available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=13101.
	The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
	
		Gross weekly pay for full-time employee jobs(21)by place of work -- 
		
			  Full-time employees2005 
			  Median Mean 
		
		
			 England 436 526 
			 West Midlands 403 476 
			 Stoke on Trent UA 346 417 
		
	
	(21)Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.
	Source:
	Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Biofuels (Tax Revenue)

John Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the tax revenue from the sale of (a) liquefied petroleum gas, (b) bioethanol/petrol blends, (c) biodiesel blended from straight vegetable oil and (d) standard unleaded petrol has been in each of the last five years.

John Healey: Historical duty revenue figures by fuel type can be found on page 3 of the HM Revenue and Customs Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin, a copy of which can be found on the HMRC website at: http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=statbulltwo
	Full year revenue figures for liquefied petroleum gas are not available for any of the last five years. Also, duty revenue figures by type of biodiesel blend are not available.

Biofuels (Tax Revenue)

John Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1) what estimate he has made of the revenue which will be generated annually as a result of the increase in excise duty on straight vegetable oil;
	(2)  what criteria biodiesel produced from straight vegetable oil does not satisfy in the amended Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979.

John Healey: There has been no increase in excise duty on road fuels, including biofuels, since October 2003. Fuel produced from vegetable oil is eligible for the rate of duty for biodiesel (currently 27.10 pence per litre) if it meets the legal definition of biodiesel for tax purposes set out in section 2AA of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979. In other cases it is liable to duty at 47.10 pence per litre, as has been the case since Royal Assent to the Finance Act 2002.

Biofuels (Tax Revenue)

Nick Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to reduce the biofuels duty levy.

John Healey: The Chancellor announces changes to taxation policy in the context of the Budget.

Budget Reports

Adam Holloway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 30 November 2005, Official Report, column 517W, if he will publish the implied business investment deflator and the implied gross domestic product deflator, for each quarter and for each year since quarter 1, 1980.

John Healey: The relevant figures are provided in the following tables.
	
		Annual figures
		
			  Implied deflators 
			  Business investment GDP 
		
		
			 1980 0.66 0.38 
			 1981 0.72 0.42 
			 1982 0.75 0.45 
			 1983 0.78 0.48 
			 1984 0.80 0.50 
			 1985 0.83 0.53 
			 1986 0.86 0.55 
			 1987 0.90 0.58 
			 1988 0.93 0.61 
			 1989 1.00 0.66 
			 1990 1.04 0.71 
			 1991 1.05 0.75 
			 1992 1.02 0.78 
			 1993 1.04 0.80 
			 1994 1.07 0.82 
			 1995 1.11 0.84 
			 1996 1.13 0.87 
			 1997 1.10 0.89 
			 1998 1.08 0.92 
			 1999 1.06 0.94 
			 2000 1.04 0.95 
			 2001 1.02 0.97 
			 2002 1.00 1.00 
			 2003 0.99 1.03 
			 2004 0.99 1.05 
		
	
	Source:
	HMT calculations based on ONS data.
	
		Quarterly figures
		
			   Implied deflators 
			   Business investment GDP 
		
		
			 1980 Q1 0.62 0.36 
			 1980 Q2 0.65 0.37 
			 1980 Q3 0.67 0.39 
			 1980 Q4 0.70 0.40 
			 1981 Q1 0.71 0.41 
			 1981 Q2 0.72 0.42 
			 1981 Q3 0.72 0.42 
			 1981 Q4 0.73 0.44 
			 1982 Q1 0.73 0.44 
			 1982 Q2 0.75 0.45 
			 1982 Q3 0.75 0.46 
			 1982 Q4 0.75 0.47 
			 1983 Q1 0.77 0.47 
			 1983 Q2 0.77 0.47 
			 1983 Q3 0.78 0.48 
			 1983 Q4 0.78 0.49 
			 1984 Q1 0.77 0.49 
			 1984 Q2 0.81 0.50 
			 1984 Q3 0.80 0.50 
			 1984 Q4 0.80 0.51 
			 1985 Q1 0.80 0.52 
			 1985 Q2 0.83 0.53 
			 1985 Q3 0.83 0.53 
			 1985 Q4 0.84 0.54 
			 1986 Q1 0.85 0.54 
			 1986 Q2 0.87 0.54 
			 1986 Q3 0.86 0.55 
			 1986 Q4 0.88 0.55 
			 1987 Q1 0.89 0.56 
			 1987 Q2 0.90 0.57 
			 1987 Q3 0.90 0.58 
			 1987 Q4 0.91 0.59 
			 1988 Q1 0.91 0.59 
			 1988 Q2 0.92 0.60 
			 1988 Q3 0.94 0.62 
			 1988 Q4 0.95 0.63 
			 1989 Q1 0.97 0.64 
			 1989 Q2 0.99 0.65 
			 1989 Q3 1.01 0.66 
			 1989 Q4 1.03 0.68 
			 1990 Q1 1.03 0.69 
			 1990 Q2 1.04 0.70 
			 1990 Q3 1.05 0.72 
			 1990 Q4 1.05 0.72 
			 1991 Q1 1.05 0.74 
			 1991 Q2 1.05 0.75 
			 1991 Q3 1.03 0.76 
			 1991 Q4 1.05 0.77 
			 1992 Q1 1.03 0.78 
			 1992 Q2 1.03 0.79 
			 1992 Q3 1.01 0.78 
			 1992 Q4 1.03 0.79 
			 1993 Q1 1.03 0.80 
			 1993 Q2 1.03 0.80 
			 1993 Q3 1.05 0.81 
			 1993 Q4 1.05 0.81 
			 1994 Q1 1.05 0.81 
			 1994 Q2 1.06 0.81 
			 1994 Q3 1.07 0.81 
			 1994 Q4 1.09 0.82 
			 1995 Q1 1.10 0.83 
			 1995 Q2 1.11 0.83 
			 1995 Q3 1.12 0.84 
			 1995 Q4 1.13 0.85 
			 1996 Q1 1.13 0.85 
			 1996 Q2 1.13 0.87 
			 1996 Q3 1.13 0.87 
			 1996 Q4 1.11 0.87 
			 1997 Q1 1.10 0.88 
			 1997 Q2 1.10 0.89 
			 1997 Q3 1.10 0.90 
			 1997 Q4 1.10 0.90 
			 1998 Q1 1.10 0.91 
			 1998 Q2 1.08 0.91 
			 1998 Q3 1.07 0.92 
			 1998 Q4 1.06 0.93 
			 1999 Q1 1.06 0.93 
			 1999 Q2 1.07 0.94 
			 1999 Q3 1.07 0.94 
			 1999 Q4 1.06 0.94 
			 2000 Q1 1.05 0.94 
			 2000 Q2 1.05 0.94 
			 2000 Q3 1.04 0.95 
			 2000 Q4 1.03 0.96 
			 2001 Q1 1.03 0.96 
			 2001 Q2 1.02 0.97 
			 2001 Q3 1.02 0.97 
			 2001 Q4 1.01 0.98 
			 2002 Q1 1.00 0.99 
			 2002 Q2 1.00 1.00 
			 2002 Q3 1.00 1.00 
			 2002 Q4 1.00 1.01 
			 2003 Q1 0.99 1.02 
			 2003 Q2 0.99 1.03 
			 2003 Q3 0.99 1.03 
			 2003 Q4 0.99 1.04 
			 2004 Q1 1.00 1.04 
			 2004 Q2 0.99 1.04 
			 2004 Q3 0.99 1.05 
			 2004 Q4 0.99 1.06 
			 2005 Q1 0.99 1.07 
			 2005 Q2 0.99 1.07 
			 2005 Q3 1.00 1.08 
		
	
	Source:
	HMT calculations based on ONS data.

Building/Refurbishment Projects

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects are planned by his Department in (i) 200506 and (ii)200607; and what the expected costs are of each project.

John Healey: The Treasury has no building or refurbishment projects planned.

Catering/Entertainment Contracts

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value is of (a) catering and (b) entertainment contracts let by his Department; and what value of such contracts has been let in each nation and region of the UK, including London.

John Healey: The Treasury did not let any catering or entertainment contracts during 200405.

Consumer Debt

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average level of consumer debt was in (a) Staffordshire and (b) England in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Figures from the Bank of England showed that the level of unsecured consumer debt in the UK in October 2005 was 191,406 million, of which 56,334 million is credit card debt and 135,072 million other. Official regional and average data are not available. The growth in unsecured lending is now at its lowest in over 10 years.

Contracts

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value was of (a) public opinion research and (b) public relations contracts awarded by his Department in 200405 in (i) each (A) nation and (B)region of the UK and (ii) London.

John Healey: The Treasury awarded contracts for public opinion research with a total value of 30,000 in 200405. The expenditure was for the whole of the UK. No public relations contracts were awarded in 200405.

Cooking Oil (Duty)

John Hemming: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason Inland Revenue decided to charge fuel duty on recovered cooking oil.

John Healey: Fuel produced from vegetable oil is eligible for the rate of duty for biodiesel (currently 27.10 pence per litre) if it meets the legal definition of biodiesel for tax purposes set out in section 2AA of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979. In other cases it is liable to duty at 47.10 pence per litre, as has been the case since Royal Assent to the Finance Act 2002. Before that date biodiesel was liable to the same rate of duty as ultra-low sulphur diesel.

Correspondence/Parliamentary Questions

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) letters from hon. Members, (b) letters from members of the public and (c) parliamentary questions from (i) hon. Members and (ii) Lords were dealt with by his Department in each year since 1995; in respect of what percentage his Department took (A) more than one month and (B) more than three months to provide a substantive answer; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Cabinet Office publishes a report to Parliament each year on the performance of departments in replying to correspondence from Members of both Houses of Parliament. The report for 2004 was published on 6 April 2005, Official Report, columns 137140WS. The reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
	Since 1999, the Treasury has dealt with the following number of letters from members of the public (figures for earlier years are not available):
	
		
			  Letters Answered within 15-day target 
		
		
			 1999 8,650 37 
			 2000 7,400 36 
			 2001 9,600 74 
			 2002 7,850 79 
			 2003 6,120 70 
			 2004 5,900 80 
		
	
	The breakdown requested of the length of time taken to reply to correspondence is not available.
	The number of written parliamentary questions answered by Treasury Ministers in both Houses since the 199596 session is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Session House of Commons House of Lords 
		
		
			 199596 1,851 Not available 
			 199697 657 29 
			 199798 4,554 282 
			 199899 2,097 156 
			 199900 2,857 274 
			 200001 5,888 293 
			 200102 3,693 239 
			 200203 3,099 248 
			 200304 1,377 106 
			 200405 (As at 15 December 2005)2,307 116 
		
	
	Information relating to the number of questions which took longer than one month and three months toanswer is not readily available and could be obtainedonly at disproportionate cost. However, Treasury Ministers attach importance to answering parliamentary questions promptly wherever possible. In the 200405 session, 83 per cent. of House of Commons questions were answered substantively by the accepted deadlines, as were 96 per cent. of House of Lords questions.

Death Statistics

Angela Browning: To ask the Chancellor of theExchequer what percentage of people died (a) inhospital, (b) in a hospice, (c) at home and (d) in residential or nursing care in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 15 December 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what percentage of people died (a) in hospital, (b) in a hospice, (c) at home and (d) in residential or nursing care in each of the last five years. (37973)
	The most recent year for which information on deaths is available is 2004. Figures are given in the table below for all deaths from 2000 to 2004.
	
		Percentage of all deaths by place of death in England and Wales, 2000 to 2004(22)
		
			  Place of death 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 (a) Hospital(23) 54 55 56 57 57 
			 (b) Hospice(24) 4 4 4 4 5 
			 (c) Own home 19 19 18 18 18 
			 (d) Residential or nursing Home(25) 18 18 17 17 16 
			  Other places 5 4 4 4 4 
			  All places 100 100 100 100 100 
		
	
	(22)Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.
	(23)NHS and non-NHS general hospitals.
	(24)NHS and non-NHS hospices.
	(25)NHS nursing home, Non-NHS nursing home, private residential home and local authority residential home.

Department Staff

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff are employed by his Department in each (a) region and (b) nation of the UK; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested is published in Table D of the Civil Service Statistics. These are available in the Library, and online at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_of_the_civil_ service/statistics/civil_service_statistics/index.asp

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants in each grade have left his Department in each of the last three years to join consultancy firms; and which firm each joined.

John Healey: The Treasury does not collect information from staff on prospective new employers when they leave the department. Therefore, data on the number of civil servants in each grade that have left the Treasury to join consultancy firms is not available.

Disability

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a Minister in his Department is planned to be nominated to take responsibility for liaison with the office for disability issues; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Minister for disabled people has overall responsibility for the office for disability issues (ODI) and lead responsibility, in collaboration with colleagues across Government, for advancing the Government's 20-year strategy to improve outcomes for disabled people. Treasury Ministers will continue to engage with the Minister for disabled people on disability issues.

Domestic Central Heating

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of households that will be provided with (a) central heating and (b) insulation in each year of his plans as announced in the Pre-Budget Report.

John Healey: The Government announced an additional 300 million to provide free central heating installations to pensioner households on pension credit who do not already have such systems. These funds will be delivered through the warm front programme and funding will be available from this current financial year. Warm front has assisted over one million homes and already installed over 50,000 central heating systems. This additional funding will help deliver a significant number of more central heating systems to pensioners on pension credit who do not have them.
	Insulation for pensioner households on pension credit will be provided by energy suppliers as part of their obligations under the Energy Efficiency Commitment. Under the current structure of EEC, suppliers are required to achieve energy savings targets and for this phase of the EEC (200508) of the EEC 130 TWh of savings have to be achieved. The suppliers have indicated that they will be able to provide insulation to any pensioners on pension credit.

Excise Duties (Receipts)

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the receipts from (a) vehicle excise duty, (b) air passenger duty, (c) fuel duty and (d) VAT on fuel as a percentage of gross domestic product in each year since 199697; and if he will estimate future receipts consistent with the forecasts in the Pre-Budget Report.

John Healey: Projected UK gross domestic product, and receipts from vehicle excise, air passenger and fuel duties, were set out in the financial statement and Budget Report and in the Pre-Budget Report, every year since 1997. Copies of these can be found in the Library of the House. The latest estimates were published in the 2005 Pre-Budget Report. These estimates will be up-dated when the 2006 financial statement and Budget Report is published.
	HM Revenue and Customs do not collect VAT receipts on the basis of individual goods so no estimate of VAT on fuel as a percentage of gross domestic product is available.

Gifts

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the gifts received by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department in each of the last two years for which information is available; what the approximate value of each was; and how many were (i)accepted and (ii) returned.

John Healey: Guidance for Ministers on the acceptance of gifts is set out in the ministerial code. An annual list of gifts received by Ministers valued at more than 140 is published. The annual list provides details of the gift received, its value, the donor and whether the gift was retained by the department, purchased by the Minister or marked for disposal. Information for June 2001-March 2005 is in the Libraries of the House. Information for 200506 will be published as soon as it is available after the end of the financial year.
	For officials, the Treasury's gifts' policy states that officials should refuse or return gifts worth more than 25, if such a course of action does not harm good working relations. Gifts valued at over 25 should be handed over to the department for disposal or the recipient can purchase them.

Illegal Meat Imports

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many seizures of illegal meat imports were made in the last month for which records are available.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs made 2,496 seizures of products of animal origin in September 2005. Of these seizures, 1,333 contained meat.

Legal Aid

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the reply given to the Law Society's letter to him of 31 August about the future of legal aid.

Des Browne: I have done so.

Local Authority Grants

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the Government's total grants to local authorities as a percentage of gross domestic product in each financial year since 197879.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 15 December 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question requesting an estimate of the Government's total grants to local authorities as a percentage of gross domestic product in each financial year since 197879. (37054)
	I have provided some estimates from the National Accounts for non-financial transfers between central government and local government. The economic sectors of the National Accounts have a broad definition, for example central government is broader than the Government, and local government includes entities such as schools, police authorities etc as well as local councils. The National Accounts are compiled on an accruals basis and include imputed amounts, so should not be confused with cash payments.
	The transactions can be sub-divided into current transfers and capital transfers.
	Current Transfers
	These include:
	Revenue Support Grant;
	redistribution of national non-domestic rates which is classified as a central government tax;
	specific grants such as those for mandatory student awards and rent allowances; and
	an imputed payment in respect of the cost of pension increase payments.
	Capital Transfers
	These mainly consist of grants paid by central government to local government to finance capital expenditure. They also include payments from development corporations and some one-off payments, such as commutation grants and amounts for repayment of over-hanging debt following Large Scale Voluntary Transfers of housing. As with the current transfers, the National Accounts include some imputed payments
	The table below shows the separate current and capital transfer series and the total. It also shows total GDP and the total transfers as a percentage of GDP. All these data are at market prices and are not seasonally adjusted.
	In 1978/79 total transfers from central government to local government were equivalent to 6.1 per cent. of GDP. In 2004/05 this percentage was 8.7 per cent.
	
		Total transfers from central Government to local government, as a percentage of GDP, from 197879 to 200405 -- Market price, not seasonally adjusted ( million)
		
			 Financial year Current transfers Capital transfers Total Gross domestic product Total as a percentage of GDP 
		
		
			 197879 10,347 227 10,574 172,637 6.1 
			 197980 11,822 267 12,089 207,608 5.8 
			 198081 14,602 270 14,872 236,503 6.3 
			 198182 15,748 291 16,039 259,486 6.2 
			 198283 16,423 294 16,717 283,459 5.9 
			 198384 20,149 268 20,417 308,331 6.6 
			 198485 20,382 780 21,162 330,869 6.4 
			 198586 20,911 675 21,586 362,803 5.9 
			 198687 22,690 861 23,551 388,131 6.1 
			 198788 24,440 935 25,375 431,246 5.9 
			 198889 24,758 949 25,707 479,934 5.4 
			 198990 25,800 2,197 27,997 525,138 5.3 
			 199091 41,190 2,084 43,274 563,715 7.7 
			 199192 51,696 2,584 54,280 594,901 9.1 
			 199293 56,513 7,863 64,376 615,087 10.5 
			 199394 56,134 2,975 59,109 652,820 9.1 
			 199495 58,645 2,559 61,204 689,767 8.9 
			 199596 58,727 4,580 63,307 729,808 8.7 
			 199697 59,860 2,654 62,514 773,146 8.1 
			 199798 59,763 2,747 62,510 824,044 7.6 
			 199899 61,211 2,785 63,996 870,464 7.4 
			 19992000 64,627 3,050 67,677 921,762 7.3 
			 200001 67,958 3,921 71,879 965,041 7.4 
			 200102 72,488 4,537 77,025 1,006,523 7.7 
			 200203 79,333 7,933 87,266 1,062,954 8.2 
			 200304 86,465 7,114 93,579 1,121,029 8.3 
			 200405 93,713 8,649 102,362 1,175,666 8.7

National Insurance

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the surplus or deficit in the National Insurance Fund is; what proportion of UK gross domestic product that figure represents; and what the projected figures are in each case for (a) 2010, (b) 2020, (c) 2030, (d) 2040 and (e) 2050.

Dawn Primarolo: The latest information on the excess of receipts over payments and closing balance can be found on page 10 of the National Insurance Fund Account 200304 (published 10 January 2005). The National Insurance Fund covers Great Britain only.
	Similar information for Northern Ireland can be found on page 10 of the Northern Ireland National Fund Account 200304 (published 9 February 2005).
	UK Gross Domestic Product figures up to 201011 can be obtained from the HM Treasury website: http://www.hmtreasury.gov.uk./economic_data_and_tools/ gdp_deflators/data_gdp_fig.cfm
	Projections of the excess of receipts over payments to 2060 for Great Britain can be found in tables 15.1 and 15.7 of the Government Actuary's Quinquennial Review of the National Insurance Fund. The Quinquennial Review is on the Government Actuary's Department's website: http://www.gad.gov.uk/Publications/docs/QR5-FullReport.pdf
	As stated in the review, these results should be regarded as giving only a broad indication of the possible future progression of the fund balance, bearing in mind the significant uncertainties involved in such a projection.
	Similar information on long-term projections for Northern Ireland is not available.

Official Travel Costs

Peter Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 29 November 2005, Official Report, column 345W, what the cost of the travel of the two officials from his Department who accompanied him on his return from Israel was.

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Peter Luff) of 29 November 2005, Official Report, column 345W, on official travel costs, for what reasons two officials from his Department accompanied him on his return from his trip to Israel; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The officials accompanied the Chancellor to conduct Treasury business at a total cost of 3,015.

Overseas Visits

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all official overseas visits undertaken by officials in his Department, broken down by Directorate, in each year since May 2001; what the cost in cash and real terms was; how many official engagements and meetings were underaken on each visit; how many officials took part in each visit, broken down by grades; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Treasury's total spending on overseas travel and subsistence (including ministerial travel costs) in 200405 was 1,657,000. In relation to the earlier years, I refer to the answer given on 24 January 2005 by the then Financial Secretary (Mr. Timms) to the hon. member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne), 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 156W. Non-financial data on officials' visits are not recorded centrally so the further analysis requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the ministerial code, the civil service management code and the code of conduct for special advisers.

PILOT

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the joint task force with the UK offshore oil and gas industry (PILOT) has discussed issues of taxation.

John Healey: The joint Government and oil and gas industry task force (PILOT), chaired by Minister of State for Energy, Malcolm Wicks, does not discuss the quantum or structure of taxation. PILOT recognises that taxation is a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Red Diesel

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why duty on red diesel was not frozen in the recent pre-Budget report.

John Healey: The Chancellor increased duty on rebated gas oil in the pre-Budget report in order to help reduce the incentives for oils fraud.

Regional Aid

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much regional aid he plans to make available to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly from 2007 to 2013; and through what funding streams funds will be disbursed.

Des Browne: The Government set out in the 2004 Spending Review its spending plans for the years up to 200708, including on regional development. The Comprehensive Spending Review will decide spending plans for 200809 till 201011.

Regional Aid

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the economy of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly of his proposal to repatriate regional convergence funding from the European Union.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the Economic Secretary to the Treasury gave to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell on 8 December 2005, Official Report, column 984.
	The Government are presently in discussions with its EU partners and the Commission on the future of structural funds in the 200713 financial perspective. It is not possible to say how particular regions will be affected by a final outcome of the negotiations.

Southend

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to promote the long-term economy of Southend; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Government are committed to promoting the long-term economic performance of all areas of the UK. In England the Government have taken steps to promote economic growth at the national, regional and local level. At the local level, schemes such as the local authority business growth incentives and business improvement districts make resources available for areas such as Southend to promote economic growth in their locality. In addition, the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and Thames Gateway Funding are contributing to the long-term economic development of Southend. For instance, EEDA is contributing 2 million to the renaissance of industrial estates in Southend.

Sustainability Symposia (Harlow)

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the representatives from his Department and public bodies for which his Department is responsible who attended the Harlow North Sustainability Symposia on 6 June.

John Healey: No representatives of HM Treasury attended this event.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1) how many applications for tax credits were received via the internet in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many claims for tax credit were made over the e-portal in (a) 200304, (b) 200405 and (c) 200506 to date; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The option of using the internet for submitting tax credits claims only became available during August 2002. The following table provides figures for claims submitted since then.
	
		
			  Numbers of claims 
		
		
			 12 August 2002 to 5 April 2003 427,000 
			 6 April 2003 to 5 April 2004 545,000 
			 6 April 2004 to 5 April 2005 547,000 
			 6 April 2005 to 30 October 2005 438,000

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the new limits on the in-year recovery of tax credit overpayments cannot be introduced earlier than November 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: November 2006 is the earliest date that the new limits on the in-year recovery of tax credit overpayments can be introduced, due to the analysis and testing required to achieve the IT change.

Tax Credits

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of fraud have been detected in Coventry South in relation to tax credit claims in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Disaggregated information by Parliamentary constituency is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 1699W, on tax credits, which problems the Government recognises as being faced by carers moving into work; and if he will (a) list the interested parties whom Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has consulted on the practicalities of extending tax credit support to this group and (b) summarise the representations they have made.

Dawn Primarolo: We recognise that informal carers of adults can have constraints on their ability to work because of their caring responsibilities. HMRC has consulted on the practicalities of extending tax credit support for this group, with other Government Departments and with a number of representative bodies outside Government. There has been a range of representations, with a particular interest in whether there may be a case for reducing the working tax credit working hours requirement for informal carers of adults to at least 16 hours a week.

Tax Credits

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency he expects to benefit from the reform to the tax credit system announced in the Pre-Budget Report.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested. Combined, the various measures will achieve a balance between providing more certainty of tax credit award for families, while maintaining flexibility to respond to falls in their income and changes in circumstances.

Tax Returns

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reduction in costs there was as a result of filing self-assessments electronically in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004.

Dawn Primarolo: Taxpayers have been able to complete their self-assessment returns electronically since 2000. Online filing reduces costs for both taxpayers and for HMRC, but estimates of the reduction of these costs are not available. Greater online filing and use of online services more generally, will enable HMRC to make savings in the long-term. These savings will contribute to the efficiency savings HMRC has committed to deliver.

Taxis

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent by his Department on taxi travel in the 200506 financial year; and what proportion of such travel was undertaken in each nation and region of the UK, including London.

John Healey: In the first eight months of 200506, the Treasury spent 86,000 on taxi travel and courier services. The Treasury has a combined contract for taxi and courier services and it is not feasible to disaggregate the courier element. An analysis of the travel by nation and region could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

VAT (Gravestones)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will exempt the cost of gravestones from VAT.

Dawn Primarolo: Under our agreements with our European partners, we are not able to extend our existing VAT zero rates or introduce an exemption from VAT for gravestones.

Wanless Report

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to revisit (a) the research for and (b) the conclusions of the Wanless report relating to increased NHS spending, with particular reference to the four years after 2008.

Des Browne: The Government accepted the recommendations made by Derek Wanless for health spending up until 200708. All public expenditure from 200809, including health spending, will be decided as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review that I announced in July 2005. No decision has been made to revisit the Wanless Report.

WALES

Administrative Savings

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what administrative savings have been made by his Department in each of the last eight years.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was created on 1 July 1999 and since this time all information relating to gross and net controlled administration costs, is published each year on its departmental annual report. These publications are available via the Wales Office website: www.walesoffice.gov.uk and from the Libraries of the House.

Anti-poverty Strategies

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet (a) the Secretary of State for International Development and (b) the Welsh Assembly Government to discuss Wales' contribution to anti-poverty strategies and policies in developing countries.

Peter Hain: I have regular meetings with Cabinet colleagues and the First Minister on a range of issues, including Wales' role in the international community.
	The Assembly is in the process of developing an international development strategy to focus on Wales' role in helping strengthen capacity in the developing world, particularly in Africa. This will include an evaluation of the role that Wales can play in the delivery of the Millennium Development Goals. It is expected that a framework document will be published in the next few weeks. In addition, the Department for International Development has set up a cross-departmental working group to co-ordinate an African capacity building programme. Welsh Assembly officials are also involved in this.

Carers' Commissioner

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government concerning the recent proposal for a carers' commissioner in Wales.

Peter Hain: I understand that the Welsh Assembly Government have noted this suggestion and have sought the views of its Carers Strategy Review Panel.

Carers Special Grant

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the (a) Welsh Assembly Government and (b) Secretary of State for Health on distribution of the carers special grant in England and Wales.

Peter Hain: The distribution of the carers special grant is devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government. I understand that the Assembly's intention to transfer these grant resources into the local authority revenue support grant settlement was announced in January 2000 and that the decision that the transfer should take place from 200607 was taken following advice from the Assembly's Carers Strategy Review Panel. It is my understanding that the distribution of the carer's grant between local authorities is based on the older adults personal social services formula.

Departmental Costs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the (a) salary bill was and (b) administrative costs were for his Department in (i) Wales and (ii) London in 200405.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	Statistically data relating to salaries and administrative costing can be found in the Wales Office Annual Departmental Report 2005.
	This publication is available on the Wales Office website: www.walesoffice.gov.uk and from the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Estate

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was paid by his Department in 200405 in rent for properties in (a) total, (b) Wales and (c) London.

Peter Hain: During the financial year 200405, the Wales Office spent the following amounts on rent:
	(a) Total rent payable, exclusive of VAT was 118,054 and 20,659 for VAT.
	(b) The Wales rent costing is 118,054, with 20,659 for VAT.
	(c) None. The Wales Office owns Gwydyr House in Whitehall London.

Departmental Expenditure

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total value is of (a) catering and (b) entertainment contracts let by his Department; and what value of such contracts has been let in each nation and region of the United Kingdom, including London.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has not let any catering and entertainment contracts.

Departmental Expenditure

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which spending programmes by his Department where the corresponding functions in Scotland are devolved are classified as non-identifiable in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses; and what the allocated expenditure on each is for the 200506 financial year.

Peter Hain: All expenditure for the Wales Office is identifiable in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department have been relocated into London and the South East in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Peter Hain: None.

Departmental Staff

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives are being taken in his Department to help civil servants with chronic back pain.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office does not have any staff that have identified themselves as having chronic back pain.
	However, Wales Office staff are supported during times of illness. They can access occupational health and welfare services to assist them in managing such conditions.

Energy Efficiency

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment his Department has made of the potential for energy efficiency improvements to reduce energy demand in Wales over the next (a) five, (b) 10, (c) 20 and (d) 50 years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Ainger: The Energy Saving Wales Action Plan sets out the Assembly Government's priorities and plans in respect of energy efficiency in Wales. This is available on the Assembly's website.
	The Government's recently announced energy review will focus on policy measures to help deliver objectives, including those on energy efficiency, beyond 2010.

Mental Health

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps are taken by his Department to support staff with mental ill-health.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office does not have any staff that have identified themselves as having mental ill-health.
	However, Wales Office staff are supported during times of illness. They can access occupational health and welfare services to assist them in managing such conditions.

Olympics

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what areas of (a) employment, (b) manufacture and (c) sports development in Wales he expects will benefit from the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Peter Hain: The Government are committed to ensuring that the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games maximise the potential for job creation, training and business growth, leaving a lasting social and economic, as well as physical, legacy for the whole of the UK. This is reflected in the Procurement Principles published in September which will form the basis of the draft procurement strategy to be adopted by the Olympic Delivery Authority.
	Wales is putting in place a regional working group, involving the Welsh Development Agency, Wales Tourist Board and appropriate representatives from the Welsh Assembly Government. This group will develop plans to maximise business and development opportunities for Wales.
	I believe that hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and events associated with those Games, will inspire the next generation of sportsmen and sportswomen, providing a massive boost to participation at all levels.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many prosecutions were brought by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority in each year since 1980.

Nick Ainger: The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority was established as a separate body with effect from 1 April 1996.
	Prosecutions since then have been as follows:
	
		
			  Public rights of way Planning 
		
		
			 1996 0 0 
			 1997 0 0 
			 1998 0 0 
			 1999 0 0 
			 2000 0 2 
			 2001 0 1 
			 2002 0 1 
			 2003 0 0 
			 2004 0 3 
			 2005 1 3 
		
	
	Previously, National Park functions were exercised by Dyfed county council. While definitive records are not available, it is believed that there were no prosecutions in relation to Public Rights of Way between 1980 and 1996. In relation to Planning matters, there was one prosecution in 1993 and three in 1994. Information about the period prior to 1990 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Police Forces (Merger)

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with (a) the Home Secretary, (b) Welsh chief constables and (c) chairs of police authorities on the proposed mergers of police forces in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: I have held discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, including my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, the four Welsh chief constables and four police authority chairs.
	I see no realistic alternative to a single force for Wales if the objectives set out in the report by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary are to be achieved. However, decisions will not be made until we have final recommendations from the police service. These are due to be submitted on 23 December.

Public Relations

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the value was of (a) public opinion research and (b) public relations contracts issued by his Department in 200405.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office did not carry out any public opinion research or issue any public relations contracts in 200405.

Rates

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was paid by his Department in rates in 200405, broken down by local authority; and how much was paid in rates in 200405 in London.

Peter Hain: During financial year 200405 the Wales Office paid rates to Cardiff city council amounting to 33,222 and 48,222 to the City of Westminster.

Renewable Energy

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that the decorative lights on departmental Christmas trees are powered by electricity from renewable sources of power.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was established from 1 July 1999. I refer the hon. Member to the answer previously given on 31 October 2005, Official Report, column 742W, to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mark Williams).

Taxis

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent by his Department on taxi travel in the 200506 financial year; and what proportion of such travel was undertaken in each nation and region of the United Kingdom, including London.

Peter Hain: Since the beginning of financial year 200506, the year to date spend for taxi travel undertaken by the Wales Office is 2,457.
	To provide spending by nation or region would be at a disproportionate cost.

Winter Deaths

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with his colleagues in (a) the Cabinet and (b) the National Assembly for Wales regarding the excess winter deaths of those aged over 65 years in Wales.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the Member for Wellingborough on 6 December 2005, Official Report, column 1178W.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits Take-up

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of pensioners in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Scotland are (i) entitled to and (ii) receiving one or more of pension credit, council tax benefit and housing benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The latest available information on the numbers entitled to income related benefits is in Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take Up in 2002/2003, a copy of which is in the Library.
	The numbers receiving these benefits are in the following tables.
	
		Housing benefit (HB) and council tax benefit (CTB) recipients aged 60 and over and pension credit (PC)recipients by country: May 2005
		
			  HB CTB PC 
			  Caseload Population (percentage) Caseload Population (percentage) Caseload Population (percentage) 
		
		
			 Great Britain 1,518,100 12.4 2,444,500 19.9 2,680,200 21.8 
			 England 1,264,500 12.0 2,029,700 19.3 2,242,500 21.3 
			 Wales 73,300 10.7 136,800 20.0 158,300 23.1 
			 Scotland 180,300 16.4 278,000 25.3 279,000 25.4 
			 Unknown(26) n/a n/a n/a n/a 400 n/a 
		
	
	
		Housing benefit (HB) and council tax benefit (CTB) recipients aged 60 and over also in receipt of pension credit (PC) by country: May 2005
		
			  HB(27) and PC CTB(27) and PC 
			  Caseload Population (percentage) Caseload Population (percentage) 
		
		
			 Great Britain 1,237,500 10.1 1,972,100 16.1 
			 England 1,026,400 9.8 1,634,600 15.6 
			 Wales 62,800 9.2 117,300 17.2 
			 Scotland 148,400 13.5 220,200 20.1 
		
	
	n/a = Not applicable.
	(26)'Unknown relates to cases allocated an incorrect postcode, which cannot be assigned to a country or region.
	(27)Figures may include a small number of men aged 6064 in receipt of income-based Jobseekers Allowance.
	Notes:
	1.The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
	2.Case loads have been rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands and percentages have been given to 1 decimal place.
	3.For HB/CTB, figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated.
	4 Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.
	5.Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases.
	6.Pension credit replaced MIG on the 6 October 2003 and extended IS entitlement to customers aged 60+.
	7.Countries are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	8.Population percentages have been calculated using 2004 ONS mid-year population estimates.
	9 Aged 60 and over is defined as benefit units where the claimant and/or partner are aged 60 and over. Therefore figures will contain some claimants aged under 60 where there is a partner aged over 60 years.
	10. Percentages of the population are based on the population aged 60+.
	Sources:
	1.Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in May 2005.
	2.DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS).
	3.Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-2004 population estimates.

Child Maintenance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Tamworth constituency receive maintenance allowance via the Child Support Agency under the (a) old and (b) new scheme.

James Plaskitt: This information is not available at the geographical level requested.

Child Support Agency

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are employed in the Child Support Agency self-employed team; and how many cases they are currently working on.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 31 October 2005
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 15 December 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; how many people are employed in the Child Support Agency self-employed team; and how many cases they are currently working on.
	In answer to your first question, our staff work on cases involving parents who are self-employed as part of our overall operation. We do not record centrally, the number of staff working specifically on these type of cases.
	In September 2005, there were around 63,000 cases using the Agency's collection service and a further 10,000 cases using the maintenance direct arrangements, in which the non-resident parent was recorded as self-employed at the point they received an initial assessment or calculation.
	There are also some applications involving self-employed non-resident parents for which the Agency has yet to calculate maintenance.
	I apologise for the delay in replying but I hope you find this reply helpful.

Child Support Agency

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what amount of arrears was written off by the Child Support Agency in each year from 1997 to 2005 in (a) England, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) Wellingborough.

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what amount of arrears was written off by the Child Support Agency in (a) England, (b) the Tees Valley and (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: This information is not available. The Child Support Agency does not have the power to write off any debt owed.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date a hard copy of the Child Support Agency (CSA) Standards Committee report was published; and on what date the report was placed on the CSA's website.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 15 December 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date a hard copy of the Child Support Agency (CSA) Standards Committee report was published; and on what date the report was placed on the CSA's website.
	The Child Support Agency (CSA) Standards Committee report was published on the CSA website on Monday 8 August 2005. No hard copy was published.
	I hope this reply is helpful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many changes of circumstance have been reported by non-resident parents on the (a) old and (b) new Child Support Agency scheme in each month of the last three years.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.

Child Support Agency

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Scottish claims were awaiting processing under the new Child Support Agency scheme calculation in each month since June 2003.

James Plaskitt: The information can not be broken down to the geographical level requested.

Child Support Agency

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is the Government's policy for the Child Support Agency to give priority in a financial settlement to the children of a new partnership where the father is not the biological parent over the children of his original marriage.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 2 December 2005
	The Government aim to balance the needs of both sets of children. It recognises the additional responsibilities of a non-resident parent caring for their own child or a stepchild in their current family in the rules used to work out child maintenance.
	For example, normally in the new scheme (introduced in March 2003) the non-resident parent's net weekly income is reduced by 15 per cent. where they care for one such child, 20 per cent. for two and 25 per cent. for three children or more. These are the same percentages used to work out the amount of child support the non-resident parent should pay.

Child Support Agency

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what criteria the Child Support Agency uses when selecting cases pre-dating 3 March 2003 for recalculation of child maintenance liability;
	(2)  when he expects the Child Support Agency to have recalculated child maintenance liability for all cases predating 3 March 2003.

James Plaskitt: Some old scheme cases linked to a new application will be converted to the new scheme.
	The Child Support Agency's chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, is currently undertaking a root and branch review of the Agency. He will report to Ministers and we will make announcements shortly.

Child Support Agency

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether there are circumstances under which the Child Support Agency contacts birth parents asking for information about children who were adopted.

James Plaskitt: There are no circumstances where the Child Support Agency will need to contact the birth parents in relation to that child. Once a legal adoption has been completed, the adoptive parents take on the legal liability for the financial support of the child.

Child Support Maintenance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he takes to monitor the proportion of parents with care on income support or income-based jobseekers allowance who are receiving child support maintenance for their children; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The proportion of parents with care on income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance who are receiving child support maintenance for their children is reported and monitored through the CSA Quarterly Statistical Summary which was first published on the Department's website on 27 October. A copy of this table is available in the Library.

CSA

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many formal complaints his Department has received regarding the Child Support Agency from people in (a) Gravesham and (b) England since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The information requested can not be broken down to the geographical level requested.

Data Protection Act

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many enforcement notices have been placed on the Department by the Information Commissioner with regard to the Data Protection Act 1998 since it came into force.

Anne McGuire: None.

European Funding

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the basis was for the allocation of European expenditure to Scotland in 200304 in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis, comprising payments under European social fund (ESF), payments in advance under the ESF, and payments under European regional development funds.

James Plaskitt: The allocation within the departmental expenditure limit, (DEL) over country and region, which includes ESF payments, is based on DWP staff numbers in those areas.

Stakeholder Pensions

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to seek the extension of the amount of tax relief given to stakeholder pensions; and what products he plans to introduce alongside the stakeholder pension range.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 29 November 2005
	There are no current plans to seek the extension of the amount of tax relief given to stakeholder pensions or to introduce new products alongside the stakeholder range.

Winter Fuel Payment

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners (a) are eligible forand (b) have claimed the winter fuel allowance in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Stephen Timms: It is not possible to provide an estimate of the number of people who are eligible for a winter fuel payment. So far this winter, 1,877 claim forms have been issued to people in the Middlesborough South and East Cleveland constituency and of these 1,212 have been returned and processed. The majority of payments are made automatically without the need to claim. Last winter 18,920 winter fuel payments were made in the Middlesborough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Jobcentre Plus

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many abortive telephone calls were made to Jobcentre Plus by claimants in each month since December 2004, broken down by local call centre.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 15 December 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning how many abortive telephone calls were made to Jobcentre Plus by claimants in each month since December 2004, broken down by local call centre. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	When a customer calls they are placed into a queue either until the call is answered or they choose to abandon the call. I have assumed that abandoned calls is what is meant by abortive telephone calls. I have, therefore, placed in the House of Commons Library information on the numbers of abandoned contact centre calls made by customers.
	I hope this is helpful.
	
		Number of abandoned calls to each Jobcentre Plus contact centre December 2004 To November 2005
		
			  December January February March April May 
			  Number of weeks in month 
			 First contact inbound telephony Five Four Four Five Four Four 
		
		
			 Chelmsford 1,122 1,148 1,434 2,064 1,144 1,019 
			 Colchester 1,162 1,175 1,283 2,418 895 1,296 
			 Derby 1,512 1,190 5,136 9,065 21,250 12,009 
			 Grimsby 1,596 5,896 815 3,837 1,936 676 
			 Halifax 2,529 6,917 2,930 6,805 3,475 2,092 
			 Lincoln 1,471 2,910 2,263 1,787 2,208 2,823 
			 Lowestoft 3,572 5,628 4,452 12,423 13,133 10,217 
			 Sheffield (29) 233 815 819 3,337 8,376 
			 Blackburn 672 483 318 962 601 597 
			 Bootle 1,504 1,259 891 1,188 8,158 5,081 
			 Chorlton 1,959 2,555 1,681 2,927 3,161 (29) 
			 Coventry 671 465 881 7,073 6,054 9,952 
			 Garston 4,576 2,557 695 4,525 3,144 2,754 
			 Telford 142 2,092 1,710 3,110 1,201 1,001 
			 Marton Mere 979 3,109 1,102 1,606 883 919 
			 Aberdeen 876 (29) (29) (29) (29) (29) 
			 Aldershot 510 212 207 297 777 374 
			 Banbury 134 620 2,483 2,056 1,747 1,129 
			 Dundee 3,602 5,517 5,395 7,239 5,139 4,399 
			 Gateshead 771 648 227 234 312 818 
			 Hastings 5,801 13,775 3,291 7,278 3,099 12,291 
			 Middlesbrough 3,836 841 465 1,384 2,367 2,225 
			 Milton Keynes 109 621 1,951 1,813 1,728 972 
			 Newcastle 594 548 644 1,285 4,329 9,104 
			 Newport 715 301 117 (29) (29) (29) 
			 Paisley 1,679 2,213 2,924 9,505 3,343 1,176 
			 Portsmouth 812 358 427 469 827 559 
			 Provan 2,256 2,390 1,052 3,898 616 1,105 
			 Bridgend 3,594 858 251 226 340 244 
			 Cwmbran 635 513 450 432 327 227 
			 Harrow 298 431 384 695 356 196 
			 Ilford 2,565 2,228 2,029 2,145 1,778 327 
			 Kennington Park 1,994 1,537 1,449 4,139 2,846 423 
			 Pembroke Dock 7,857 9,533 2,446 3,713 4,655 3,391 
			 Poole 320 880 799 2,419 2,205 523 
			 Taunton 209 269 251 457 353 326 
			 Torquay 403 228 426 1,271 2,699 2,436 
			 Directorate total 63,037 82,138 54,074 111,564 110,243 101,057 
		
	
	
		
			  June July August September October November(28) 
			  Number of weeks in month 
			 First contact inbound telephony Five Four Four Five Four Four 
		
		
			 Chelmsford 2,912 2,878 1,819 2,452 864 416 
			 Colchester 3,500 3,385 (29) (29) (29) (29) 
			 Derby 7,621 18,317 27,967 26,712 6,063 2,898 
			 Grimsby 1,944 4,057 6,066 5,188 8,283 1,554 
			 Halifax 7,707 9,057 5,550 6,198 3,327 1,103 
			 Lincoln 3,749 4,521 8,619 13,647 4,362 479 
			 Lowestoft 23,925 15,432 14,110 22,246 978 1,844 
			 Sheffield 14,463 15,297 14,323 6,078 146 78 
			 Blackburn 656 631 5,066 8,884 4,047 1,994 
			 Bootle 6,168 10,321 7,561 4,925 1,091 500 
			 Chorlton (29) (29) (29) (29) (29) (29) 
			 Coventry 16,132 16,823 17,813 22,036 11,292 1,482 
			 Garston 7,023 20,420 13,512 16,971 5,585 1,459 
			 Telford 1,398 5,434 9,589 7,005 4,767 548 
			 Marton Mere 1,995 5,618 4,342 3,256 1,449 1,190 
			 Aberdeen (29) (29) (29) (29) (29) (29) 
			 Aldershot 333 20 (29) (29) (29) (29) 
			 Banbury 2,126 5,010 5,160 2,305 1,635 551 
			 Dundee 7,528 5,585 14,365 22,314 11,922 4,756 
			 Gateshead 1,068 1,111 540 (29) (29) (29) 
			 Hastings 19,662 16,413 20,872 30,925 4,054 786 
			 Middlesbrough 2,743 4,389 6,205 4,624 1,558 898 
			 Milton Keynes 2,224 4,033 3,314 (29) (29) (29) 
			 Newcastle 8,280 3,963 3,926 14,163 5,501 2,674 
			 Newport (29) (29) (29) (29) (29) (29) 
			 Paisley 3,374 2,532 2,893 5,029 3,793 896 
			 Portsmouth 759 1,462 1,293 479 (29) (29) 
			 Provan 3,597 4,332 4,902 6,110 1,399 (29) 
			 Bridgend 1,046 10,896 6,158 11,440 2,830 1,728 
			 Cwmbran 725 215 403 1,286 400 511 
			 Harrow 189 (29) (29) (29) (29) (29) 
			 Ilford 40 (29) (29) (29) (29) (29) 
			 Kennington Park 3,218 5,058 3,496 3,866 (29) (29) 
			 Pembroke Dock 5,748 8,346 12,169 22,311 4,153 2,286 
			 Poole 1,163 3,945 11,010 11,310 1,310 1,388 
			 Taunton 2,507 5,789 5,943 1,968 5,816 1,740 
			 Torquay 3,177 6,396 12,936 13,136 1,916 1,447 
			 Directorate total 168,700 221,686 251,922 296,864 98,541 35,206 
		
	
	(28)Data is for the three weeks of four that have passed so far.
	(29)No longer take first contact benefit calls.